Something Blue
by KaibaGirl007
Summary: Seto and Kisara's big day is just around the corner and with Torchwood on the case, what could possibly go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

**Bonus story set around 18 months after chapter 44 of my 'Doctoring the Blue Eyes' fic.**

**I own no rights 'cause I'm poor :P**

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Dedicated to Phil, for inspiring me in more ways than one ;)

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"_That's what I love about Torchwood. By day, you're chasing the scum of the universe. Come midnight, you're the wedding fairy."_ - Ianto Jones, Torchwood (S2, Ep9)

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**Chapter One**

The St. David's hotel stood high and proud in the night time sky as it towered high above the marshland area of Cardiff bay. Light shone out from the many tall windows that formed the outer wall of its luxurious complex, its roof arching upwards to catch the moonlight, sending a pale beacon into the darkened sky. Some of the light that escaped from the building was partially filtered across the nature reserve entrance on its doorstep. A heron, highlighted as it went about a spot of late night fishing, remained completely oblivious to the figure stood watching it from a room at the very top of the manmade structure.

With one hand holding the cell phone up to his ear whilst he watched the bird down below, Seto used his other hand to loosen the tie around his neck. "I really don't envy you and Becky making that flight with the little ones."

"It's not so bad." Mokuba's voice came down the line. "We _do_ have Naoko here to provide help if we find ourselves struggling..."

"Like I said; I _don't_ envy you." Seto chuckled his interruption as he idly dropped the tie onto a nearby chair where his jacket had previously been discarded and then undid the collar button on his shirt to make himself more comfortable. There were many, - too many, - times that he found his fiancée's closest friend too much to take, but dare not confess his dislike of the woman to either of them. "An eight hour public flight with Naoko rambling on about the world of fashion is something that I would gladly pass by anytime."

"Well it wouldn't be eight hours _or_ a public flight if you hadn't gotten rid of your private jet!" The younger brother was less than pleased with the other's jesting. Of course Mokuba could have bought himself a plane of his own, but instead chose to pool his company's profits into expanding KaibaLand as well as starting up future funds for his children. "Why did you sell it off? Kaiba Corp isn't struggling to stay afloat in today's business market is it?"

"No, it's not that." Seto sighed. He brought his free hand up to rub his temples. The days of when Kaiba Corp took up every single waking moment of his time were long behind him and now the mere thought of further discussing his company's details at such an hour was enough to start his head throbbing. "Just doing my bit to keep carbon emissions down. There's no point sending another plane into the sky, - just because I have the money to do so, - when there's already a scheduled flight to carry over a dozen times more passengers than the total number I'd have on board my jet, even at full capacity."

"That doesn't sound like you to be all concerned about Global warming." Mokuba chuckled down the line.

Indeed it wasn't like him at all. It wasn't that Seto didn't care about what was happening to the planet, but just couldn't stand listening to politicians and 'so-called experts' drone on about their over-exaggerated research. Who knows, maybe he might have felt differently about such things if he didn't have inside information from a certain 'captain', assuring that the earth would remain pretty much how it is now, - minus a country or two, - for millions of years to come. The story he'd just told his brother had been nothing but a complete lie. A lie that he was willing to uphold as it not only made him look good in the public eye, but also shielded his true reason of why he had sold off the several million dollar plane in the first place.

"I swear that, that woman is changing you bro."

"Not changing; just rekindling." Seto smiled happily as his view lifted from the heron down below, as it took off into the sky with the reward for its tolerant efforts. "You know what it's like, to be in love ..."

"Please, not again or else I actually am gonna barf this time around!" There was nothing but teasing behind the younger brother's words, as he had come to realise just how the other must have felt all those times when he had spoken such romantically nauseating things.

Seto chuckled at the mocking complaint that had been made and moved the conversation onwards before he really did start rambling on about how much he loved the woman he would soon be married to. "So you're expected to land in Cardiff International at what time now?" Slowly he began to pace the room.

"Late afternoon." Mokuba's voice was highly frustrated with the fact that their flight had been delayed twice now. "Sorry I can't be more specific, but that's as much as anyone can get out of one of these _idiots_ here."

"The weather must be bad for them to …" Seto failed to finish his sentence and also lost his trail of thought as one of the conjoining room doors opened and in stepped Kisara. He stopped his pacing and watched, transfixed as his fiancée made her way across the room towards the king-size bed; her short, skimpy, nightdress ever so slightly hiking up her thighs with each sway of her hips.

"It's all the snow and ice on the runways that's stopping us from taking off. Quite unusual for this time of year don't you agree?"

"Yeah….Very….Unusual." Mindlessly agreeing with his brother, Seto's head now tilted inquisitively to the side, catching a glimpse of flesh from underneath the silky garment and leaving very little to his imagination. _Damn, she knows how to get my attention._ "Look Mokie, I'm going to have to hang up now." He felt the blood in his body migrating south and wanted to end the call quickly. "I think the jetlag is catching up with me."

"You've just spend nearly the last month in Europe promoting your company. There's no way that you could have possibly gotten jetlag flying from Paris to Cardiff a few hours ago."

Seto now saw Kisara sat propped up against the pillows and under the luxurious covers of the bed as she waited for him to join her. "Well then… I must be extremely tired." He faked a yawn. "See, I'm exhausted, - can't keep my eyes open for a moment longer, - I'll be there to pick you all up from the airport tomorrow. Bye." He hung up before Mokuba had a chance to protest and dropped his cell phone onto his tie and jacket. Swiftly he whipped off his shirt over his head, completely ignoring the buttons that remained done up, and revealed the scars that were permanently scratched onto his torso.

"I thought you said that you were tired." Kisara giggled as she watched her man race to undo his belt and remove his trousers. "I'm sure your brother doesn't appreciate being lied to."

"There are very few things that I choose not to share with him, and times like these just happen to be one of them." Seto hopped on one leg and then the other as he removed his socks before lifting up the bottom of the bed covers to crawl in.

More giggles escaped from Kisara as she watched the bump underneath the covers come closer to her feet. A hand wrapped around her ankle and she gave a little squeal as she felt herself pulled down to lie on her back. Now that she was where he wanted her, it took Seto just the blink of an eye to position himself on top.

"Hang on a sec, I've got my foot caught." He told his fiancée as she reached her hand up around the back of his neck to pull him closer for a kiss. Seto's hand dived down to retrieve the boxers that he had been wearing a moment earlier and brought them out from under the covers to show her, before flinging them to the floor on his side of the bed. "Now where were we?"

Their mouths met and lips locked as they engaged in a passionate kiss, tongues entwining for several minutes before they had to stop in order to breathe again.

Kisara smiled whilst running her finger's through Seto's hair as he slowed pulled down the silk nightwear to reveal her breast and kiss her there gently. "You do realise that come this time the day after tomorrow, we'll be a married couple?"

"You're not having second thoughts are you?" He asked before delivering more kisses to the area of soft flesh.

"No, of course not." She assured before gasping from the playful nibble that she now received on her breast. "Are you?"

Seto stopped what he was doing and looked at her sceptically with raised brows. "I've waited my whole life to be with you, so what makes you think that I'm going to give you up now?" A grin shone on his face as he delivered his tease. "You're doomed to become a Kaiba and spend the rest of your days with me."

"Whatever shall I do?" Kisara laughed jokingly before they shared another kiss and pulled his body closer, down from where he hovered above her. "So Mr Kaiba, what should I expect to be forced to do once I become Mrs Kaiba?"

"Oh, I won't force you to do anything that you don't want to do." A mischievous smile crept onto Seto's face. "But I know what I'd like to do to you." He lowered himself down further and slowly entered into her. "Shall we get some last minute practise in so that we're ready for the night of the big day?"

"Like we haven't been doing enough of that just recently?" Came the smirked reply.

They'd only been in motion for a couple of minutes when the door that Kisara had entered previously was slowly pushed open. "What are you doing?" The sound of the four year-old's voice caused them both to freeze, as they stared at each other with startled, horrified, expressions and were thankful that they still remained covered by the bed sheets.

"Anathema." Seto growled his frustration quietly.

"We're just hugging." Kisara had to bite down on her lip to stop herself from laughing as she spoke to the little girl who had interrupted their act. Her head turned and the urge to laugh disappeared when she saw the upset child. "What's wrong Baby?"

"I had a bad dream." One of her hands held tightly to the bunny plush she carried whilst the other was raised to her eyes, rubbing them sore as she tried to clear away the tears that had been softly cried since she had woken up.

Seto's view also turned to rest on the child he had taken on since the night that her father had died. With her mother already deceased and knowing that his brother and sister-in-law would soon have two of their own to take care of, he had decided that Anathema would become his responsibility. There was no way that he would allow her to feel the same rejection that he had, by being placed in an orphanage when there were still family relatives capable of looking after her. She may be Noah's daughter but he'd raise her as if she had been his own, and with Kisara already having a bond with the child from having been employed as a nanny to her, Anathema had settled well in her new family unit.

"Mommy Kara." She'd been calling her former nanny by this term for the past couple of months now. "Can I sleep here?"

"Er…?" Kisara looked up to the man still lying on top of her seeking an answer before she gave her own to the little girl.

"I guess so." The heavy sigh that left Seto's mouth made clear his unenthusiastic forfeiting of the chance to be able to reach their climax that night. "The mood has died anyway."

"I'm sorry Darling." She smiled apologetically, aware that he had turned limp inside her from having their moment ruined by the unexpected interruption. "I promise to make it up to you on our wedding night." Her hand ran through his hair once more and lured him closer for a kiss.

Seto returned the kiss before pulling away and was careful to make sure that their nakedness remained concealed from Anathema's view as he shuffled across the bed to retrieve the discarded boxers. He placed them back on, all the while under the veil of the sheets, and then flung himself back to lie on his side of the bed.

Kisara also made sure that her form was covered as she pulled down the nightwear which had crept its way up her torso from having been dragged from her sitting position. She then peeled back the covers to allow the small green haired girl to clamber up and settle in the centre of the bed between them. "Why don't you tell me all about your dream?" Wrapping an arm around Anathema, they snuggled up together and the child began to explain about the nightmare that had upset her.

Turning onto his side to face them, Seto watched his wife-to-be comfort his niece as the little girl revealed that she still had flashbacks relating to the night when her father had died, her dreams haunted by the Daleks that had tried to snatch the Earth and delete all life from the universe. Occasionally he too would have the odd flashback of that time but managed to overcome them, even the most distressing moments, - there were plenty of them, - when he was convinced that he had lost those who meant the most to him.

A broad smile spread across his face whilst he continued to watch the woman he loved comfort the young child as soothing words of reassurance were spoken to help ease Anathema into a peaceful sleep.

The whole Dalek ordeal remained a mystery to Kisara who had no recollection of it. Her mind had been wiped of all memories from the months leading up to the invasion, including the time that the couple had spent getting to know each other through their dating. It was unavoidable, but had it not happened then the energy and knowledge that had been absorbed by the timelord's failed regeneration would have imploded her mind and killed her. But they had overcome that hurdle of emptiness as true love prevailed and here they were, about to become husband and wife.

"What?" Kisara giggled as she caught sight of the dopey looking grin on Seto's face.

"You make a wonderful mother." He told her sincerely. They'd been trying for a baby of their own for sometime now but hadn't had any luck so far.

"It'll happen." She smiled back knowing that he longed for children of his own. For someone to call him 'daddy', unlike the little girl between them who referred to him as 'uncle Seto', - which unarguably he was, - and they wouldn't force change upon her.

"I know." Seto shuffled closer and planted gentle kisses on both their foreheads before carefully placing his arms around them. "But even if it doesn't, you two still make me the happiest man alive."


	2. Chapter 2

**Big thanks to doctorwho29 and starwefter for leaving reviews :)**

**Chapter Two**

"Creu gwir fel gwydr o ffwrnais awen." Seto spoke the words displayed on top of the Wales Millennium Centre with ease.

"What does that mean?" Kisara asked curiously. She sounded impressed by the phrase which Seto had only known because both of his Welsh friends had once taught him how to say it properly.

"'_Creating truth like glass from inspirations furnace'_. Poetic words from one of Wales' finest national poets; Gwyneth Lewis." Seto beamed as he stood beside his fiancée in the warm bright morning sunshine that shone down over Cardiff bay.

"Is there anything that you don't know?" Now she knew he was just showing off.

"Yeah, like how to control children without the use of a leash." He darted after Anathema as she ran circles around him before zooming over towards the water tower structure. "Oh no you don't!"

The little girl giggled uncontrollably as she was swung over her uncle's shoulder. To her it was merely a game that they were playing, but the real reason Seto had stopped his niece was so that the Torchwood hub below them didn't receive an unexpected visitor if she was to accidentally activated the invisible lift. "Put me down!"

"No." Seto laughed in response and began to spin around on the spot were he stood, causing Anathema to laugh even harder, her arms stretched out wide as she pretended that she was now a helicopter.

Kisara had taken a moment to study the posters placed up around the wondrous golden crowned theatre house. Each one illustrated an exhibit or performance ranging from the artwork currently on display and made by the children from the local schools, to a comedy musical direct from the West End, to some stand-up comedian who she'd seen earlier in a commercial on the hotel's television, to an adaptation of Swan Lake….

Her attention had been caught. She loved that particular ballet but had never seen it performed live before. Maybe she could persuade her other half to take her whilst they visited the city where they were due to be married in the very same place that they stood outside of right now. "Seto!" She yelled.

No reply.

Turning to find where her man had disappeared to, Kisara called out his name again, this time there was a hint of alarm as her eyes lapped onto him. "Seto!"

"What? What is it?" He asked sounding concerned as he stopped from his spinning. The ground around him swayed slightly as his equilibrium struggled to keep up with him. His niece's legs kicked in time with her giggles.

Kisara gave an exasperated sigh. "What did we do before we left the hotel this morning?"

Oh god, he hated moments like these. The way she was staring at him meant that he'd forgotten some pointless trivial thing. Like a few months back he'd forgotten the twins' birthday, - it was their first after all, so it's not like he'd done it year after year on a regular basis, - but still it took him over an hour to remember before she'd leave him alone about it.

It was immensely tempting to act sarcastic with his response, but he chose to remain sensible and ventured, "Had breakfast?"

"Uh-huh." Kisara nodded. He'd guessed correct but still hadn't realised what he'd done wrong. "That was about a half hour ago, so if you continue to swing Anathema around like that…"

"Projectile vomiting!" Seto smirked with a sardonic tone, unable to hold off the temptation as he now understood that she was concerned about the little girl on his shoulder being sick. "The perfect weapon to use against the Welsh."

"Oh Seto." Kisara giggled as she made her way over to him. "Sometimes you just act like a mischievous schoolboy instead of your age."

"And what do you suggest to put me right?" He asked with a wicked smile and raised brow. "I sincerely hope it's going to involve a spanking." There was another chuckle before he felt her lips on his.

"Come on!" Anathema sighed with frustration as she stared down at the ground, waiting for her fun to re-start. "Wanna go round again!"

The couple broke apart from their kisses and Seto carefully placed his niece onto the ground. "Sorry Kiddo, we'll play again later."

"Aww!"

"In the meantime, if you're very, _very_ good, I'll ask uncle Jack to show you Myfanwy." He received a puzzled look from the little girl at having mentioned the name of the pteranodon. "His guard-dog." The added information cast a smile onto the child's face.

"Yay, doggie!" Anathema squealed excitedly as she took hold of her uncle's hand which was held out to her.

With his other arm, Seto drew his fiancée close to him and wrapped it around her waist as they set off down the steps to walk across the Oval Basin.

"So we're meeting up with the three of them at their workplace?" Kisara made conversation as they headed towards the bay's waterfront.

"Yep."

"And Jack has his guard-dog there with him?"

"Yep."

"In a tourist information office?"

"Y…..y-yeah?" Seto hadn't really thoroughly thought through that part when creating a new aspect of the cover story that was already in place to hide Torchwood from the public. He wanted to keep that world a secret from the woman he loved even though Jack had assured that revealing the truth to her would be okay by him, the captain's argument being that if Gwen's buffoon husband knew, then why not Kisara?

"Sometimes I swear that man thinks he's doing a'saving the world' type job instead of running a public service." She gave an amused giggle. "He even fancies himself as a hero with that coat of his, and the way he talks……I doubt that most of what he says is actually true."

_If only you knew._ Seto chuckled inwardly. _But you never will._

Telling her about what Torchwood was and did would only reveal things best left unknown. He didn't want to worry her, - or anyone else he knew for that matter, - with all the flotsam and jetsam that spawned from the rift, not only here in Cardiff but also at several other locations across the globe, including their hometown of Domino.

They were now passing under the bridge crossing over the entranceway that led down onto the wharf. Letting go of her uncle's hand, Anathema raced over to a huge curved metal sculpture and began to drum her hands on it as she ran along beside it. She then zoomed over to stand by the railings and glance down at the waters that flowed below their feet.

"Oi, come back here you!" Seto called out to the little girl in hope she'd return to his side. There may have been barriers up all along the boardwalk but there where still gaps big enough that would allow a small child to slip through into the quay, and he didn't want that to happen. Looking out for his niece's wellbeing had become second instinct; after all he did have the experience of practically raising his brother from birth, so wasn't surprised that the urged occur naturally to him now.

"Sorry." She apologised and obediently took hold of his hand once more.

The tourist office was now in sight as it stood directly in front of them and the far end of their path. "A bit out of the way isn't it?" Kisara commented. "It's a wonder that anyone knows they're down here."

Suddenly the door burst open and out ran a man all dressed in white, - completely bland, chalky-white from head to toe, - and Seto recognised him as the street mime he'd often seen during his time previously spent there, the same one who entertaining shoppers and tourists in the city centre with his human statue act.

Ianto was hot on the trail of the fleeing man. "Stop!" He yelled as he struggled to keep up with him.

Gently easing the woman and child to one side, Seto prepared himself to intercept the lively statue and aid his friend as it came closer towards him. If a member of Torchwood was giving chase on this guy, then there had to be a perfectly good reason why, and if he could help with the capture he'd do so.

"Go Ianto, go!" Both Jack and Gwen chanted as they emerged from behind the door and they too set off sprinting down the boardwalk.

Seto launched himself at the moving target and grabbed onto him tightly as he flailed about, desperate to break free. _This guy's a lot stronger than he looks._ He thought to himself as the mime broke free just a second later. Staggering slightly backwards and tripping over his feet down onto the wooden flooring below him, he watched as the Welshman passed by to grab hold of the street artist himself.

"'Kay uncle Seto?" Anathema asked as she ran over to hug him.

"I'm okay." He nodded and tried to ease off the tight neck lock that almost stopped him from being able to breathe.

Around a dozen metres or so from them, Ianto wrestled fiercely with the captive. He almost had the man handcuffed when suddenly he was forcefully thrown backwards to collide with Kisara, who had remained in the spot where she had been placed out of the way just a moment earlier. "Urgh!" They both cried out together as they fell whilst the chalky white figure vanished into thin air.

"Yantie!" Jack exclaimed with concern and like a flash, he was crouched down by his lover's side and helped ease him into a sitting position.

Gwen comforted the little girl so that Seto could also tend to his lover. "Kisara?" His fiancée looked shaken from the tumble as her eyes glanced around as though she was unsure of where she was.

"S-seto?" Her voice was shaky and scared as she looked up at him, and before she could say another word, felt his lips on hers.

He'd seen it done hundreds of times, - in movies, - were couples would spontaneously kiss in such situations to express their feelings of relief and ensure each other that things were okay. But this kiss was nothing like he had experienced before as he got no response from Kisara whatsoever. It was like she didn't want to kiss him back. Possibly caused by her shaken state? She was completely rigid which only caused Seto to feel uncomfortable as though he was forcing her into doing something against her will, so he was extremely thankful to have their moment interrupted by a high pitched squeal.

"_Seto?!" _The horrified looking Welshman caught everyone's attention.

Jack gave a suspicious look at Ianto beside him before his view rested on the silvery haired woman who glanced down her body as though she had never seen it before. He abandoned his lover and approached his friend's.

"Not again." Kisara whimpered as she stared at the fistful of her own hair which she held in front of her face and then suddenly felt more lips pressed against her own.

_What the…? _Seto was gob smacked by the sight he saw, and didn't know what shocked him more; the fact that the captain was kissing his fiancée or that she was returning the affectionate action. He felt his blood boil with jealously and wasted no more time in forcefully dragging the man back. "What do you think you're doing Jack?!"

"I'm sorry to tell you this Seto, but that's not Kisara." He looked almost as shocked as his angered friend had been a second earlier. "It's Ianto."

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**A/N: In regards to the rating for this fic - I personally didn't see the last chapter as M rated, boarding on there maybe, and I even axed several sentences I'd written to dumb it down before posting. I was trying to portray the closeness of Seto and Kisara's relationship (I'm a soppy romantic, and to me sexual intimacy is a way which displays that bond) and also provide a comedy moment with Anathema's introduction in the story. It is the only scene of this nature in this light-hearted fic which is why I chose to make it at T (if it wasn't for the scene in question I would have rated it K+) If anybody else feels it should be upped to an M, or a way it could be written better then let me know and I consider making alterations.**

**Why have the wedding in Wales instead of Japan? - Well when your (Seto's) only three friends work as part of a secret defence organisation, and a short staffed one at that, it makes sense to take it to their (Torchwood's) doorstep so that they can attend too. Plus if it wasn't then this fic wouldn't be here to read now :P**

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	3. Chapter 3

**Big thanks to: doctorwho29, and starwefter for leaving reviews :)**

**Chapter Three**

"Maroon Esprit." Jack explained as he ran the handheld up and down in the air in front of Ianto and Kisara standing side by side as he scanned their forms to confirm his suspicions of the incident which had not long occurred. "That's what the street artist guy was."

Unable to keep Torchwood a complete secret from the silvery haired woman now, the basic fact about the institute had been revealed to her. They were a secret organisation who investigated supernatural activity, - separate from the government, outside the police and beyond the United Nations, - that was it. That was all that Seto would allow to be revealed, which was why they remained in the back room of the tourist information office right now instead of entering into the lower depths of the hub.

"And that's supposed to set my mind at rest because…...?" The CEO asked cynically as he still tried to make sense of the body swap between his friend and wife-to-be.

"They're harmless." The captain smiled.

"_Harmless?!_" Seto exclaimed in frustration.

"A good thing too, otherwise this could have ended up a lot worse." The woman's voice spoke out as Ianto voiced his thoughts. "Has Jack or the Doctor ever told you about the Weeping Angels?"

"No."

"Consider that as a good thing as well." Gwen piped up from where she sat at a small table with the little girl who was happily colouring in a picture of a welsh dragon, yellow with green and blue spots. "When Martha first told me all about those nasty buggers, they gave me nightmares for weeks." She shuddered at the thought of them.

"Lay off the cussing whilst my niece is present." Seto politely ordered the Welshwoman for the term she had used to describe whatever it was he had been asked about.

"Sorry."

"Anyway, the point of the matter is that this guy _wasn't _a threat to anyone." Jack stated.

"Then why were you chasing him?" Seto asked with a nervous laugh. "Torchwood doesn't just reprimand the general public."

"There was an incident involving said nasty bug…" Jack stopped himself before he received a telling off too. "Thinking that he may know something about it, we brought the Maroon Esprit in for questioning. It turns out that his Rift visa has expired and that's why he tried to give us the slip back then, to avoid being sent home."

"Rift visa?" Kisara asked in the Welshman's voice.

"Trust me, long story, don't ask." Jack assured.

"Oh but I've got lots of things to ask!" Kisara snapped back. "Like how can you be so calm about what's happened? That _thing _turned me into a man…!"

"No, that _thing_ just made you switch bodies with Ianto." The captain stood firm with his explanation. "He's facing the exact same circumstances as you, except the only difference is that he's been through this before."

"When?" Seto asked. Ianto hadn't mentioned anything to him about it and he'd gotten to know the Welshman pretty well.

"When he used to be a woman."

"Yeah, thanks for that helpful insight Jack." Seto retorted. He looked at his younger friend and then realising his mistake, looked at his fiancée instead. "Fill me in on this stuff Yan, because he's certainly not being any help."

"I completely agree with that last part." Kisara's eyes gave a disapproving glance towards his sniggering lover. _Thanks a lot Jack, you know how much I wanted to forget that incident! _"It was towards the end of last year when one morning I just woke up as a woman." He received a sceptical look for his words. "Yes, I know it sounds like some random fan fiction for a popular TV show, but that's what happened."

"And a very pretty woman he was too." The captain commented with a sincere face.

"Oh come off it Jack, he wasn't pretty at all." Gwen snorted and still couldn't believe how jealous she'd gotten at having another woman around since Tosh had died, as she'd become so used to being the only one. "He was _bloody_ gorgeous, that's what he was!"

"Again with the cussing!"

"Sorry. You should have seen him though. He had long wavy auburn hair, skin like peaches, legs that came up to his armpits, and his breasts!" She held her hands wide several inches in front of her own. "They were out here!"

"Thank you for that Gwen, but I think we're getting a little sidetracked here." Ianto was not amused by the way he had been described at what had been one of his most disturbing times in his life.

The Welshman's head nodded. "We should be discussing the current situation."

"Kisara's right Jack, now stop messing around and tell us what the _hell_ happened to make them switch bodies."

"Hypocrite." Gwen muttered at the use of the cuss word by the CEO.

"What happened is that the Maroon Esprit got scared." The captain began to explain. "When that particular species becomes frightened to the point where it feels that it's life is in danger they can summon a power, - at the cost of halving its own potential lifespan in the process of doing so, - to confuse their predator and escape via teleportation."

"Yeah, but that doesn't quite explain why they switched bodies though."

"Get your brain in gear Seto!" Jack rolled his eyes with exasperation. "Its goal was to confuse Ianto, so when it pushed him away he was knocked into Kisara, they switched bodies due to the surge of power oozing out from within the Maroon Esprit and …"

"Confusion occurred." Kisara's head nodded as Ianto now understood why it had happened. He looked at his lover. "When will the effects wear off?"

The captain shrugged. "Who said anything about it wearing off?"

"_WHAT?!_" The three shocked voices of Ianto, Kisara and Seto chorused together.

"Just kidding, the spell _will_ wear off. Everything should be back to normal within the next twenty-four hours."

"And what if it's not?" Seto asked, annoyed by the older man's lack of seriousness over the situation. "We're supposed to be getting married tomorrow, I don't want to postpone it, not again, it's already been set back several months…"

"Then there'd only be two other options." Jack sighed. "You can be seen walking down the isle with Kisara but end up pledging your vows to Ianto, or in order to pledge your vows to Kisara you are seen walking down the isle with Ianto." Another, more exasperated sigh. "Either way, you'd end up marrying a Welshman."

"I heard that." Kisara's voice growled disapprovingly at the jest.

The choices were only now starting to sink in as Seto turned his view from the captain and silently stared at his fiancée.

"I like you Seto, but not _that_ much!" Kisara told him before he then remembered that she was actually Ianto. She, - he, - sighed. "But if it's what you both want for your happy day to go smoothly then I'll do it." A forced smile as he felt the nauseating sensation in his stomach. _It's not like I'm gonna get married otherwise. _His feelings were slightly bitter towards his lover's lack of publicly shown commitment.

"No, just cancel the whole thing…"

"Cancel?!" Seto exclaimed at the Welshman, _his_ fiancée he told himself. _I can see me needing therapy to get over this!_

"Postpone, whatever!" Kisara muttered in the male voice. She didn't want any_body_, - even hers, - marrying Seto unless she was the one by his side pledging the vows, and if she was to be stuck in the Welshman's body then that wasn't going to happen. Ianto's lip began to tremble and his eyes filled up.

"Hey now, don't cry … Honey." Even though he knew that it was Kisara who he was talking to, Seto still felt awkward addressing his male friend in the affectionate term. He also felt extremely guilty after already upsetting her several times now by delaying their happy day due to complicated but _important _and_ unavoidable_ business associates. "It's only a possibility which may not even occur."

"That's right." Jack agreed with what had been said. "And I'm more than certain I'll be giving you away tomorrow." With no father figure of her own, he'd been asked to play the part of father of the bride at the couple's wedding. "Everything is going to be okay."

"Uncle Jack?"

At being addressed from across the room he approached Anathema and crouched down so that he was level whilst he conversed with her. "Yes Pooky?"

"Can I play with your doggie?" She asked and at seeing the wrinkled brow on the captain's face, realised that she'd forgotten an all important word. "Please?"

"Doggie?" Jack had no idea what the little girl was talking about.

"My van way?"

He chuckled quietly at hearing the pteranodon's name pronounced as three separate words by the child who had spoken them unsurely. No doubt that this was some kind of cover story invented by the CEO, who didn't want his family to know about Torchwood, yet had spoken of the prehistoric creature to his niece? _I'll never understand you Seto!_ "I'm sorry Pooky but she's not here today." Indeed, Myfanwy was out hunting, probably picking off the lambs of Flat Holm. "Maybe some other time, eh?"

The little girl nodded sadly.

"So what _did_ the two of you originally have planned for tonight?" Gwen asked the happy couple. "I'm guessing a romantic candle-lit dinner and an evening at the theatre? That's the kind of thing that you two do isn't it?"

"Oh, if that's what you have planned then please _don't _cancel." Ianto spoke in the female voice as he attempted to add a light-hearted tone on the situation, which they'd be able to look back on and laugh about one day, hopefully tomorrow. "I'd gladly have dinner with you Seto, it's been ages since '_anybody_' took me out for a romantic meal…"

"Hey! I took you out just last week!" Jack exclaimed.

"Yeah, for fish and chips on the roof of the Millennium centre!" Kisara's eyebrows rose. "What were you thinking?"

"Aww, now come on, that does sound romantic." The Welshman joined in the conversation, Kisara's mind now diverted from her woes.

"Not when you're trying to chase seagulls away from your food, whilst battling against the wind that's threatening to blow you several storeys down to your death." Ianto's deadpan explanation caused a series of stifled giggles.

"At least I tried to be romantic. You know that that stuff doesn't come naturally to me."

"Sorry Yan, but I'd have to solely agree with Jack on that one." Seto laughed as he sympathised with the captain's efforts, - like many of his own, - that hadn't quite gone according to plan. "And no, we didn't have anything planned just yet."

"Nothing at all?" The Welshwoman frowned. "But it's the night before your wedding."

"So?" The CEO shrugged.

A huge smile slowly crept on the Gwen's face which was mirrored, - and then some, - as she looked at Jack. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I should probably answer 'no', - you know what my mind is like, - but on this occasion, 'yes'."

Seto started to feel slightly uncomfortable as the pair of grins grew wider and together his two friends shouted, "Stag and Hen dos!"

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**A/N: _Maroon Esprit_ - This guy I made up myself and envision the species as sort-of harmless 'cousins' to the Weeping Angels seen in the Doctor Who episode Blink.**

**_"...... one morning I just woke up as a woman...Yes, I know it sounds like some random fan fiction for a popular TV show, but that's what happened."_ - reference to the Torchwood novel Almost Perfect by James Goss, which may sound like a bad fanfic but is actually quite a good read.**

**KG  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Big thanks to starwefter and doctorwho29 for leaving reviews :)**

**Chapter Four**

"No way, absolutely not!" Seto shook his head at the suggestion of the bachelor parties.

"Come on, it's tradition." Gwen tried to convince him.

"Read my lips; N. O. No!" He would not be budged from his decision as he stared harshly at the two grinning faces of his friends. "If the pair of you want to drink yourselves stupid and act like a couple of incompetent morons with your immature behaviour then go ahead, don't use me as an excuse to do so."

There was silence in the tourist office which the captain broke with his sigh. "Well that's Seto's mind made up, always the killjoy." He turned to the Welshman after receiving a disgusted glare from the CEO. "What about you Kisara? You up for a night out on the town?"

"I don't drink." She replied sheepishly in her male vocal cords.

"And given the circumstances, I don't think either of us would enjoy ourselves very much." Ianto added his opinion in the female tone. "Plus I'd look a little out of place tagging along as part of the stag night and vice versa for Kisara with the hen night."

"Don't you start turning into a killjoy as well!" Jack rolled his eyes at the poor body swap excuse his lover had given. "You've spent too much time with Seto, or has it got something to do will the change of hormone levels you're used to? That time of the month perhaps?"

"Oh god, I sincerely hope not!" There was a hint of panic in Ianto's exclamation as he looked over towards himself waiting for an answer. Switching bodies was one thing but having to deal with the opposite sex's hygiene routine was another.

"Well, actually…"

"Don't listen to her." Seto sneered to ease the look of discomfort felt by the friend currently portraying his lover as he spoke over the long drawn out sigh. They'd been having lots of regular sex recently as they tried for a baby so he'd be one of the first to know if Kisara was on her period or not. "Your dry sense of humour isn't so funny when it's used against you is it?"

"Look everyone, I've finished my picture!" Anathema held up the Welsh dragon she'd be colouring in her own unique design and background setting of one of her uncle's theme parks. "You like?"

"Very good Pooky, I especially like the wings."

"Thank you uncle Jack." She placed the picture back down and happily started another.

"Well then, how about a girls' night in?" Gwen ventured. "We could get some popcorn, ice cream, couple of movies, gossip, do each other's hair and make-up…"

"Can I come too?" The little girl asked. "I like ice cream."

The Welshwoman's eyes glanced at her male colleague waiting for Kisara's decision.

"Of course you can Baby."

"I'm not _your_ 'baby' uncle Yanto!" Anathema giggled as she coloured away.

Feeling slightly startled by the child's remark at not being able to understand the situation, - why would she, she was only four almost five, - Kisara glanced at herself. The realisation that Ianto would have to carry on and pretend to be her in every way until things were back to normal was only just beginning to sink in.

There was a feminine sigh. "I suppose I'll be tagging along too then."

"You'll love it." Gwen assured. "It'll be the one time you can watch chick flicks without any complaints…"

"Excuse me, but I prefer my James Bond films, it's him who's the chick flick freak."

The captain's jaw dropped in surprise at hearing the remark which happened to be completely true but was meant to be a secret to everyone else but his lover. Calmly though he just shrugged it off and guessed it served him right for all of the times he'd ever embarrassed the Welshman with the suggestive taunts in front of others.

"And here you are claiming to be a non-romantic." Seto snickered. He wouldn't let the older man live this one down for a long time, if ever.

"That's sorted then, I'll call Rhys and tell him to disappear and leave us alone for the night." Gwen pulled out her cell phone and speed dialled her husband's number. "Hi Love, it's only me…"

"Aww, come on Seto, let me at least take you for one last drink before your big day." Jack whined and pouted.

The captain may be over two thousand years old, but he sure acted like a spoilt child at times and the far younger, - usually unyielding, - man caved. "Only one." He stated firmly. "And Mokuba will be coming along too, to make sure of that."

Shiny white teeth flashed in the happy grin. "Deal."

"… I know, why don't you go for a drink with Jack and Seto? …"

_What?! _Both men where horrified at hearing Gwen invite her husband to join them.

"… Seto? He's a guy I used to work with and it's the night before his wedding. Yeah, hasn't got many friends, that's why he's ended up with Jack…"

"You know there's a certain amount of honest truth to her words." Jack jested the CEO who gave him the look that warned him to quit it.

"… Oh that'll be great, I'll tell them. Yeah, I love you too, bye." Gwen hung up and placed her phone back in her jacket pocket. "Rhys says he'll join you both for a good-luck drink and he's going to bring Banana Boat along too."

"Banana Boat?" Seto's nose was wrinkled and he felt the same as the appalling look that the captain wore.

"His friend, Colin." Gwen explained and then another idea struck her. "I'll give Andy a call too, I'm sure he'd also…"

"Isn't he the guy who I met once before?" He didn't need to mention any more of the incident when he had struck the PC behind the castle grounds.

"Yeah, but Andy's the kind of guy who easily forgives." She waved Seto away as she got her phone out again and dialled her friend's number. "Hi Andy…"

_This whole thing's getting out of my control!!! _

Seeing the startled expression displayed on his friend's face, Ianto attempted to divert the situation away from the plans for that evening. "Let's see, what else is still left to do?"

"Not much, I don't think?" In fact Seto didn't have a clue as he wiped a hand across his exasperated face. The wedding had been set back several times now and arrangements had been made, cancelled, juggled around on so many occasions that he didn't know what was what anymore.

"I've got my dress to collect sometime later today." Kisara informed them. Thankfully the Welshman had stepped in to take charge of things, - allocating a couple of tasks to Jack and Gwen too, - after the third setback date and had ordered for her expensive designer gown to be delivered to a local bridal shop.

"We can go and pick that up now if you like?"

"Sure, let's do it." Kisara replied to herself as the two of them prepared to collect the garment.

"Can I come, can I come!" Anathema bounced around excitedly and then tightly gripped hold of the silvery haired woman's hand, leaving Ianto with very little choice but to take her with them.

"… okay bye." Gwen put her phone away once more and spoke to Seto and Jack. "Says he'll go, but you have to buy him a pint." She noticed the three who were just about ready to leave the tourist office. "I'll come along too, that way I can check with the florist and make sure they've got the bouquet all set to go too."

"See you later Darling."

Seto swiftly recoiled as he saw the Welshman approaching to kiss him on the lips. Even though he knew it was his fiancée's soul contained within the male body, and no doubt that he had hurt her feelings by preventing the affectionate gesture, he just couldn't, - wouldn't, - allow the man's lips to meet his. The thought of kissing his friend in such a way was a revolting one which would most likely scar him for life! Okay maybe that was a bit too melodramatic, but there was no way he'd ever let Ianto get that close to him again as unknowingly sharing a kiss right after the swap was traumatic enough.

His assumption about the hurt feelings had been correct as he saw sadness threatening to seep out of the pale blue eyes as Kisara silently backed away from him to join herself, Anathema and Gwen at the entrance of the tourist office. How could he have been so insensitive towards her?

"Kisara wait!" If he couldn't do it physically, then he'd make sure that she knew it verbally. Feeling terrified, he hesitated as the younger man stared back at him again. "I love you."

The silvery haired woman stared towards the captain hoping for a similar supportive announcement from his lover. None came.

"I love you too." The Welshman smiled back with wavering lips and then left with the rest of the small group as they continued to carry out the wedding based chores.

His heart felt heavy as he watched them leave and the CEO turned to converse with the captain. "It will definitely wear off in time for the ceremony, won't it?"

"Positive." Jack assured with a serious tone and sincere smile. "Now if you'll follow me into my office, I'd like to talk business."

The secret wall of the tourist office opened and the two men descended in the elevator, talking as they did so.

"Have UNIT finished now?"

Seto gave a frustrated sigh. "After many setbacks from them; yes, my 'basement' is now completely free of that huge monstrosity, and once I get back home construction work will _finally_ be able to start." He had given some serious thought to the equally serious suggestion of creating a Domino based branch of the institution, and after thinking long and hard about aiding his friends' efforts, had agreed to lead what would soon become Torchwood Five.

It was because of the setbacks with the task force, - who had safety removed and destroyed the Cyberman conversion unit from the hidden room located below his company's main building, - which had caused him to postpone the wedding several times. Of course everything relating to the two organisations had been kept secret from his fiancée, so he had made up pathetic excuses for the delays.

"How'd Kisara take the hold-ups?"

There was another sigh, this time it was heart wrenching as he thought about the upset he had caused her. "Pretty well. I knew she'd never let on just how disappointed she actually was, so I found ways to make it up to her."

"Oh yeah?" There was that mischievous Cheshire cat smile.

"Not like that." Seto rolled his eyes at the captain's hopefulness of having his bedroom antics shared. "Well yeah that too, but you'll never hear about it." He still received a look that wanted to know what else it was he'd done to make it up to his fiancée. Again he caved far too easily with his mumble. "I took her dancing."

"You, dance?!" Jack laughed as the elevator came to rest and the doors opened for them to alight. He knew that his friend had two left feet and the image he had of the couple dancing together highly amused him. "Poor girl, you must have trodden on her toes hundreds of times."

"No, actually." The huge circular door rolled to one side and they entered the hub. "I took up dance classes to improve my skills…" He stopped as the other man's laughing increased.

"Why would you do that?"

"Give and take Jack, that's what relationships are all about." Seto spoke is words a little too curtly and his friend's hilarity dissolved. "I didn't enjoy the fact that I learnt something which is completely useless to me, - I mean when am I ever going to find myself in a situation were I'd need to Samba my way out of it? - but I did it for Kisara as a compromise for all the times she puts up with me, my company and the secrets I'm keeping from her."

The captain remained silent as they entered his office. He'd gotten the hint; he should make himself more committed to Ianto. It wasn't that he didn't want too, he just…… had to stop making excuses for himself. He gave a sigh and altered the subject of conversation while he searched through his filing cabinet. "How's Europe taking to Kaiba Corp? Did you get the two secretaries you were after for your Berlin and London branches?"

"Things are going well, and _yes_, Idris has settled in nicely." Seto smirked at the indirect question. Why couldn't Jack just ask straight out if he'd employed the young Welshman, whose name had been put forward by the captain saying he owed a favour to the man? "And Donna seems to be doing far better than I anticipated too." He'd chosen to look out for the woman, - who had played a vital role in saving them from the Daleks and had lost over a years worth of memories, adventures and friendships as a result of it, - by ensuring that she would have a stable job within his company. A little chuckle as his thoughts turned back to the memory of the incident when the red-head had bumped into him shortly before her interview and not knowing who he was had mouthed off in her boisterous manner. "She called me Sunshine during a slight mishap we had a few weeks back."

"You can never mention anything about the time she spent with the Doctor Seto." Jack warned looking up from his files and watched the fond reminiscing smile disappear from the CEO's face.

"I know."

Returning back to his search for the paperwork, - _This cabinet's a mess, perhaps I should actually let Yantie do his job instead of seducing him all the time?- _the conversation was moved onwards again. "And what about the _other _staff issues? Have you found any recruits yet?"

"There's me, obviously. Only me in fact." Seto leaned on the desk, picked up the piece of coral that was always on there and began to turn it over in his hands as he spoke. "As much as I'd like to keep Torchwood secret from the rest of my family, there's no denying that Becky would be an extremely useful asset to the team."

"Well ask her then. If you don't I will as I need someone like her for myself." The captain sent his friend a quick glance. "And I mean that on a strictly professional need. Even if she remained in Domino and just did her technical research over a secure network for me, - a woman like that is far too talented to … Ah, got it!" He pulled out a brown paper file and handed it to the younger man. "Here's your first case."

Seto took the file and stared down at the name printed on it: _Henry Van Statten. _"This wouldn't be the same guy who's the CEO of Geocomtex by any chance?"

"Bingo. Ianto said you'd heard of him."

"Like I told Yan, the guy's a complete jerk!" Seto snorted his disgust for the self-righteous, egotistical man who he had been in danger of becoming at one point in his life. "Reckons he owns the internet and that his technology is far superior to everyone else's. Ha! How many Vortex Manipulator's has he made? Answer, nil!"

"Slight change of subject since you mentioned it, but did UNIT confiscate your plans for the Hoppers?"

Following the timelord's orders, the task force had searched Kaiba Corp's entire computer systems as he did not fully trust Seto to not use the advanced technology which he was capable of reconstructing, or the captain's words that he would keep an eye on the younger man. Unfortunately for them, they had found nothing but proof that the Doctor was being untrusting and slightly paranoid about things.

"What do you take me for?!" A slight malevolent smirk accompanied the answer as a finger tapped his head. "It's all up here."

"Brilliant!" Jack grinned. He hated the fact that they were deceiving the Doctor, but the ability to instantly transport from one place to another would be extremely handy for his team and Seto's once the devices had been constructed. Of course neither of them had planned or considered using it for time travel purposes, so a little lie to the timelord wasn't going to hurt. "Okay, back on topic, first off, yes he does own the internet…"

"Don't be stupid, nobody can claim rights to owning the internet."

"Seto, what have I told you about interrupting me? Just button it and listen. We've been investigating this guy for some time now and have rights to believe that he has accumulated an impressive array of alien artefacts which we plan on confiscating. You know the rules; if it's alien it's ours. I'm pretty sure it's in the handbook somewhere…"

"Torchwood has a handbook?"

"Now you're doing it to spite me, stop it!" He saw Seto display a smug grin for having interrupting him again. "And no, Torchwood does not have a handbook. Please don't tell Ianto 'cause he'll probably sit down and write one…"

"I bet he's already started and is half way … ow!" The CEO rubbed his head where his friend had playfully struck him for yet another interruption.

By now the conversation was diverted away from its original topic and intention. The captain swung it back. "Just get your company to strike up a partnership with his and find out what you can. With any luck you'll be able to get a lot closer than we have managed with this investigation so far."

"As soon as the wedding's all over with and I'm back home, I'll get on to it ASAP." Seto nodded and casually dropped the file down on the desktop and placed the coral on it like a paperweight.

"There's no rush." Jack assured. "Don't let Torchwood take priority over your personal life."

_Beep-beep-beep-beep!_ Seto pulled out his cell phone and frowned at the text message he'd just received which had taken almost five hours to reach him since his brother had originally sent it.

"What is it?"

"Message from Mokuba, the flight from Domino has been delayed again." The way things were going it was getting dangerously close to the plane not touching down on Welsh ground in time for the wedding. But the text itself had been sent in the early hours of the morning so it was most likely that they were actually on their way right now.

"Bet you wish that you didn't sell off your private jet now eh?"

"Not really, I needed the money from its sale to help start my own Torchwood funds as I couldn't just let a vast sum of money like that disappear from this annual's profits for my company." He was set on paying for his secret organisation out of his own pocket since he had the ability to do so.

"Speaking of money, I have a favour to ask." Jack breathed in and winced. "I was wondering if it was possible for you to loan me some? I'm not talking a huge amount, but I need to acquire it without Ianto's knowledge, and since he's in charge of all my team's funds it makes it a teensy bit hard for me to do so."

"What's it for?"

"I'll not only tell you, but show you, while we're out."

"Out? Where're we going?"

"We've got a couple of chores to do too, or don't you want a suit and rings for your wedding?"

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**A/N: My original draft for this chapter had Seto actually kiss Ianto so that he wouldn't offend Kisara, but I changed it for a couple of reasons as: a) it seemed a little too weird for Seto to consider going through with it, and b) the image of them both locked in lip action with each other ........ ewww!**

**Torchwood Five based in Domino and lead by Seto. Who didn't see that one coming? (sarcasm intended) **

**Idris and Henry Van Statten can both be seen the Doctor Who episodes 'Boom Town' (Idris, who is later featured in the Torchwood novel 'Twilight Streets') and 'Dalek' (Henry Van Statten) The purpose of getting Seto involved with Geocomtex serves as knitting the two universes together that little bit more for these fics.**

**Lol's at the thought of Seto barhopping/pubcrawling. I liked writing those scenes :)**

**KG  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**Big thanks to starwefter and doctorwho29 for leaving reviews :)**

**Chapter Five**

It had taken Ianto many phone calls to find a retailer that was prepared to shell-out the humungous price tag to be allowed to harbour the 'one of a kind' dress directly from the high profiled fashion designer, which it would then claim back from the purchaser upon the final sale. That was the way many of the small independently owned outlets worked when it came to such expensive purchases that were otherwise above their usual stocks' prices, and although he'd considered it a highly rude gesture, there were no surprises that over ninety percent of them instantly hung up on him once he'd revealed the price in question.

Running out of options left in the phone book, the Welshman then decided to turn to the same place that had helped him during his first wedding fiasco. He'd been hoping and preying against the odds that he would not have to return to the shop were he had purchased Gwen's replacement dress, but at times like these with continuously changing setback dates, there was nowhere else to go.

After agreeing to place down a fifteen percent deposit, using Torchwood funds of course, the store amongst the line of shops opposite Cardiff castle was now in possession of the sophisticated bridal gown. There was no way he was going to live off beans on toast, instant coffee and downgrade his suits to Marks and Spencer's , - or worse, Primark's, - for the next several months if he had paid with his own salary and savings.

"Explain to me again why you couldn't just pay the designer upfront and have it sent to you directly?" Ianto asked Kisara as the four of them entered the shop and sent the little bell above the door tingling.

"Naoko always says not to pay before you've seen your purchases, especially when it's being commissioned, that way you know they're going to work their hardest to please you, and not slack on the amount of effort, creativeness and quality of materials that goes into the final product." She explained using her friend's motive as they waited for someone to appear in the empty room and assist them. "And for the last month we've been travelling around Europe to promote Seto's company so hauling it along with us was out of the question also."

"Ooo, pretty!" Anathema caught sight of the colourful display of bridesmaid dresses. Her own had recently been acquired in Paris and was waiting back in the luxurious room at the St. David's hotel. She let go of her Mommy Kara's hand to have a closer investigation and soon came running back as a smartly dressed dark skinned man entered from the backroom.

"Hello, welcome, how may I be of service to you?" The shop assistant spoke in a silky voice as he approached the small group.

"We're here to collect a dress I ordered." Kisara stated in the Welshman's voice.

"Back so soon sir?" There was a sly, haughty grin from the darker man as he remembered how he had caught the male customer holding dresses against himself a couple of years ago.

The eyes of the silvery haired woman were rolled in exasperation that the man had still assumed the dress Ianto had bought had been for himself. "It's my dress actually." He attempted to correct the misunderstanding. Even though the words inside his head sounded completely wrong for him to hear, to the other man it looked okay to have the woman put him in his place over the assumption.

"Oh." The assistant didn't look so smug now. "And what name was the reservation made in please, miss?"

"Jones. Kisara Jones." When making the arrangements over the phone Ianto had originally planned to use his own name, but upon reminiscence of the hard time he had received the first time around, had then decided to divert to the intended owner's name instead. Only he'd already put forward his surname before making the final decision.

"Ah!" Another smile crossed the dark face and the man's eyes glistened as he spoke. "So you're the woman destined to wear that extravagant piece of elegancy!"

Kisara bit her tongue, - Ianto's tongue, - as she watched herself plainly nod in response. It was _her_ dress, not his, but understood that to cause a fuss with the role-reversal would have raised eyebrows. She watched the man hurry away and turned to question herself. "Kisara Jones?"

"Long story." Ianto heaved as long strands of pale shimmering hair waved from side to side as he shook her head.

"I bet you were secretly planning on eloping together." His colleague teased.

"Don't be ridiculous!" The reply was snorted back. "You know I only have eyes for Jack."

_Like how he only has eyes for you?! _ Gwen kept the snide remark to herself and forced a smile. They both knew that the captain would never be the kind of person to settle down with just one lover, and yet she still clung to the hope that he would do it for her.

"Then I think 'Jack' is one exceedingly lucky man." The assistant smiled, clearly he'd overheard some of the conversation as he returned with the wedding dress on a hanger and sealed beneath the dustcover.

"I wish he'd realise that." Ianto gave a sardonic laugh as he took hold of the garment handed to him.

_Something's not right here. _The dark toned man thought to himself as that bitterness didn't sound much like the words of a woman who was about to marry the man she loved. He also couldn't help but notice the excited look in the Welshman's eyes at seeing the gown he had previously had hold of. "May I escort you to the fitting rooms so that you are able to examine its full beauty on yourself?"

The silvery haired woman nodded weakly, and Ianto hoped that Kisara would only look at the dress and not ask him to try it on there and then in the shop.

"Here you are." They'd been lead to a spacious cornered off area with a huge floor to ceiling mirror. "Any problems, just yell."

Gwen drew the curtain across the area to conceal the four of them from the assistant and watched as the Welshman eagerly stripped of the dustcover. "Wow!" She exclaimed at the sight of the waves of white ruffles flowing freely. "Now that's what I call a meringue!"

Kisara's nose wrinkled at the sight of the expensive garment. "Why this style of dress? It's not in fashion at the moment?"

"You sound exactly like Naoko." The Welshman's eyes rolled as his hands skimmed along the silky white fabrics. "I don't care whether it's in fashion or not, it's my wedding day and I always wanted a fairytale dress similar to David and Elizabeth Emanuel's style."

"Ah, I see!" Ianto was fairly confident that he knew which dress it had been that had inspired her since it had been famous worldwide. "I'd have to admit that Princess Diana's wedding dress _was_ beautiful, if what a little OTT."

"How much did that thing cost?" Gwen asked curiously as she watched the gown now held up against her colleague's body.

"Close to a year's salary." Was the reply from the woman beside her and the revelation caused the Welshwoman to whistle in astonishment.

"Mommy Kara, why is uncle Yanto pretending to wear your dress?" Anathema asked as she watched the man twirl around to see the reflection of the flaring out train in the huge mirror.

"I think you're a little too young to understand right now, but we'll tell you when you're older Sweetie." Gwen patted the little girl on the shoulder.

"Knew it!" There was a faint chuckle from the other side of the curtain as the shop assistant had been listening in on the conversation. Satisfied with what he had heard which supported his assumption of the dress actually intended for the Welshman, he moved back to the counter and till located towards the entrance of the shop.

_Fuck! _The curse was mimed by the silvery haired woman and caused a couple of giggles to emerge from the other two adults. "As if last time wasn't bad enough, he's going to ridicule me all over again."

"Last time?" Kisara asked, - her laughter having disappeared, - as she lowered the dress from her masculine form.

"I had to buy an emergency replacement dress for Gwen on her wedding day and this happened to be the only place willing to sell one straight off the rail at such short notice. Unfortunately the guy out there thought I was purchasing it for myself and the remaining time of finalising the sale here was unbearable and humiliating as he made many jests. Of course I let them all slide as I didn't think that I'd ever end up back here…"

"Are you telling me that that camp, snooty-nosed, ars…" Gwen's choice of insult was quickly abandoned as the thought of the child present repeating it to her uncle somewhat terrified her. "… bad mister, poked fun at you all because you bought a dress?!" Her anger levels rose as she received a nod from her friend who she knew took what other people thought of him close to heart. "Let me at him, I'll…"

"No." Slightly panic stricken, Ianto stopped the other woman from leaving the change area. "I appreciate what you intend to do, but I don't want to make matters worse. Let's just take the dress, - if it needs any adjustments doing I can do them, - get out of here, and make ourselves ready for later on tonight."

"Only if that's what you want Ianto sweetheart?" Gwen smiled sadly. She knew he was capable of standing off against others when those he cared dearly for were in the firing range so to speak, but if it was ever himself he would just back down, almost cowering away as though he didn't matter. "Don't let him, or anyone, succeed in making you feel insecure about yourself."

A meek smile trembled on Kisara's face. "I promise."

"Here." The garment had been placed back inside its dustcover and was now held out towards the silvery haired woman. "This place, and that guy, will soon be behind us."

Ianto took hold of the hanger with one hand, opened the curtain with the other, and all four of them made their way to the till. He raised the garment to pass to the assistant but froze at hearing the comment to leave the man's mouth which was directed to the Welshman beside him.

"I take it everything was to your satisfactory sir?" He received a quizzical look at having the nerve to say such a thing. "Oh come off it, we all know that it was intended for you from the start. There's no need to carry on with this charade. Not unless you're ashamed of who you are?" There was now an outraged look on the 'supposed' bride's face. "It's perfectly normal for men of _'our kind'_ to want to dress in drag."

_Ashamed?! 'Our kind'?! _Ianto had suffered a tough enough time as it was with homophobic stereotyping _without_ this guy thinking of himself as superior and that all non-hetero men liked to dress in woman's clothing. And hadn't he promised Gwen just a few moments ago that he wouldn't let anyone make him feel insecure about himself?

He'd had enough, and while he had the chance of being someone else he would do something about it. "If I was you, I'd reconsider taking back the things you've just spoken to my friend." Ianto sneered and pulled the designer dress closer to herself, - himself, - as he refused to hand it over just yet. "Your assumptions and misunderstandings on more than one occasion have easily caused offence, and I'd like to see an apology made."

"You what?" The assistant laughed. Surely this woman wasn't seriously expecting him to do such a thing. "Why should I apologise? It's not my fault if your friend wishes to remain hiding in the closet!"

_Who's hiding in the closet?!! _The covered up garment was casually raised at arms length as the holder pretended to admire it again. "Once your fees have been added, the total sale of this dress would be what? A little over twenty grand? That's a lot of money, the majority of which had to be placed upfront by, - is it your own business?-..." A nod. "… and you'll only get that money back once we've paid for it right? Well what if we, as the customers, change our minds based on your inability to express regret? I'm fairly certain that it would be a massive financial loss to you, - especially during this recession, - as there'd be no refund given from the designer, and the chances of trying to sell it onwards to someone else round here would be even slimmer than Posh's waistline, so …"

"You're blackmailing me into doing this?"

"Call it, 'justice being served'." There was a smug smirk present on the young woman's face as Ianto enjoyed the hold of power that he currently had. "It's up to you, how much do you want this sale?"

The dark toned man was aware that he would have too swallow his pride and admit his wrong doing if the transaction was to be completed. There was too much riding on the back of the dress in question for him to do otherwise. His business had been struggling over the years as it sank further into a mass of debt and the country's current economics didn't help either. The interest fees on such an expensive purchase would help to ease his troubles for a while, which was the only reason he'd taken such a risk in the first place. He couldn't afford to have the paying customer pull out now.

Taking a deep breath as he gulped back the negativity he had, the shop assistant/owner expressed his forged remorsefulness with an equally forged smile. "I'm sorry sir, I do apologise if my actions and words happened to cause you offence in any way."

Kisara silently looked at herself who nodded slightly to confirm that he was satisfied with the reaction that had been gotten. The Welshman sighed heavily as she spoke to the issuer of the apology. "Looks like my friend has given me no choice but to accept your meaningless words." A narrowed glare from the pale blue eyes then materialised to burn right through the man behind the till as he told him the decision which she hadn't made lightly. "And we _won't_ be purchasing the dress after all."

"What?!!" The shocked expression of the shop owner was also mirrored by the thoughts of Ianto and Gwen. "But you can't… I said I was sorry…"

"Because you were forced in to it, you didn't actually mean a single word."

"I do now."

"I hardly think so." The response was scoffed by the male customer. "You're just desperate for to us hand over payment…"

"Which you will be getting." Assured the woman clutching tightly to the expensive garment as Ianto wondered just what Kisara was playing at. He'd had his fun and gotten one over on the man who had tried to humiliate him in front of them. There was no need for her to take things this seriously, especially since she needed the dress for her wedding tomorrow and wouldn't stand a chance at finding another if this one was rejected.

"No, really, he won't." The Welshman told herself and backed away from the counter. Kisara then opened the door to exit, but before she did, gave one last taunt. "In response to the closet remark; I'm more than comfortable with who I am, unlike 'someone else' who feels the need to hide behind the many rails and hangers of other women's clothing." She had a feeling that her husband's friend would not stand up for himself so had done it for him.

Ianto was gob smacked as he watched himself leave the shop and then saw an equally stunned, - but highly amused, - Gwen approaching. "Come on Sweetheart, I think the final verdict has been made." She told him.

"Please don't!" The man begged the pale haired woman whose grip was loosening on the dustcovered gown. "The future of my business depends on this sale."

He was highly tempted to apologise for the act which had spiralled out of his control but felt that the comeuppance served well to the conceited storeowner. Ianto allowed his colleague to gently ease the hanger from his hand in order to lead him out of the shop with the little girl following along as she still held on to him.

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**A/N: I hope that the whole 'shop ordering and paying for the dress, and then claiming back the expenses' made sense. I know some small local businesses operate like this but they are few and far between nowadays.  
**

** Hands up, who got confused with the Kisara/Ianto parts of this chapter? I know I did and I'm the one writing it!**

**KG  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Big thanks to starwefter for leaving a review :)**

**Chapter Six**

The Welshman waited a little way outside of the bridal shop and was soon joined by the two women and child. "What kept you?"

"You did not just do that!" Exclaimed the slightly high pitched, disbelieving feminine voice of the silvery haired woman. "Please tell me that you _did not_ just walk away from your dream wedding dress?"

"Okay, I won't." An over exaggerated grin was forced onto the man's face.

_Do I really sound and look like that?_ Ianto asked himself as the smugness of his voice and own face stirred a feeling of irritation inside his female form, making him feel slightly nauseous. He vowed to put a cap on such humorous behaviour when things were returned back to normal. "You're insane! I know from past experience that you've got no chance of finding a replacement dress for tomorrow..."

"The dress doesn't matter…"

"How can it _not_ matter?!"

Anathema jumped a mile at hearing the unusual outburst from her Mommy Kara and Gwen was quick to distract her from the argument that was sure to follow. "Let's leave them both alone for a minute or two and go buy some sweets, yeah?"

"Sweets?"

"Candy."

"Yay!"

The dark haired woman and little girl disappeared into a nearby newsagent's to purchase the desired confectionary and left the body switched couple on their own.

A hand was raised to the temples of the woman's forehead and Ianto began to massage the area before running the hand back along the flowing hair that passed down by the shoulders. _Okay, stay calm. Things are out of control, but it's not the end of the world, you've survived that and far worse. Just breathe. _There was a deep intake of air. "Why did you do that?"

A slight shrug was Kisara's feeble response. As she saw the stern 'explanation demanding' glare of herself, she mentally made a note not to be so harsh on Seto next time she used that same expression on him as it intimidated her more than she though herself possible of being. "Okay." She sighed. "I was appalled by his attitude. He showed nothing but disrespect towards you, and someone like that automatically loses all respect I have of them. Nobody has the right to treat others in that manner and he was definitely not worthy of receiving such a huge sum of money because of it. I know Seto would have done the same if it had been him instead of me as he has zero tolerance for people who offend his family and friends. I just hope that my decision and forfeit result in that guy learning a thing or two about showing decency towards others."

The stare had been vaguely relaxed. "You did that for me?" He received a nod in return. "Even when I told Gwen not to make matters worse, you still went ahead and did so, and have now ruined your big day in the process?"

"_I_ didn't ruin it." Kisara pointed out rather sourly. "Seto did that the first time he pushed our original wedding date back."

Ianto wasn't quite sure how to react to the bitter remark. He'd advised his friend to let UNIT carry on with the basement clearout, devoid of the CEO's presence, as he was more than certain that the arranged date would be seen as 'the' momentous occasion by the woman now trapped inside his body. But of course, - like Jack, - Seto had a stubborn streak which refused to do the majority of things other then the way he intended, and so insisting that his fiancée would 'understand', had moved the date back._ Nobody ever sets out with the assumption that they'll be committing themselves in such a way more than once. Is it too much to ask that things go according to plan and are perfect for just one day of their lives? Poor Kisara to have her hopes and expectations shattered in so many ways…_

"This marriage seems to have been doomed since the moment I'd first agreed to marry him; the Daleks, memory loss, date setbacks, body switch, abandoned wedding dress, - which I'm not going back on my decision, - even our guests have been delayed back home!" Kisara's voice wavered slightly as she spoke, no doubt upset over the mounting hindrances. "Maybe we weren't meant to be husband and wife and should call the whole thing off? Lots of couples simply live together these days, we should just settle for that...!"

"Whoa there!" Ianto gently shook his body as the woman within was starting to become a little hysterical and he looked deeply into his eyes. "What do_ you_ want? _Really_ want?"

"I want to go back to Domino _as_ Kisara Kaiba." She answered earnestly whilst gazing into her bright blue stare. The feeling of the experience to her was like practicing a speech by looking into a mirror, but to the man inside her body it must have seemed extremely peculiar to see and hear himself say such a thing.

"You will." The smile reassured her. "We _can_ salvage the most memorable occasion from the current mishaps, even though it may not be how you had originally envisioned it."

"I'm usually the first one for optimism, but somehow I don't see this happening." Gwen had returned with the little girl who was quick to offer one of the purchased fruit sweets to the silvery haired woman.

"Oh ye, of little faith!" The sarcastic remark oozed from Kisara's lips as an orange sweet was placed into her mouth. "You just don't want anybody to top your Nostrovite experience."

Green eyes rolled as the Welshwoman did her best to ignore her colleague's taunt. Even though she knew it was actually Ianto inside the female body she still couldn't help letting the tiny flicker of jealousy flare with the envy that she had against her friend's fiancée.

There had been a point at one time were Gwen and Seto could have quite possibly become more than just friends as they both succumbed to spontaneous lustful urges, but because of a traumatic instant in the CEO's past, it had progressed nothing further than a quick fumble in one of the city's blind spots. Moments after the incident had happened, she justified the fact to herself that it was for the best that nothing more had occurred as she was married to and in love with Rhys. But as time passed by she began to have doubts, - more than she did before, - about her choice of husband and wondered if she had simply chosen to play it safe by agreeing to wed the Welshman? She knew that she was capable of loving both Jack and Seto, more than the two currently standing at either side of her, so why had she rushed and settled for third best?

"What's a Nostrovite?"

"Erm…" Gwen was snapped back into real time and remembered that Kisara wasn't meant to know much about anything in-depth Torchwood related. "It's a Welsh term for gatecrasher." She lied, hoping that her colleague would play along with the cover story.

"Moving swiftly along…" Ianto was eager not to have to explain anything else relating to the other's wedding. They had to focus on this one if they were going to have any attempt at rescuing it. "You're going to need a dress and since the bridal shops are out of the question that leaves us with trying the classifieds section of the Echo in search of a second-hand one…"

"Very hit and miss." Gwen mumbled through a mouthful of sweets.

"… or visit the clothes shop of the city looking for an elegant banqueting gown instead"

"Cardiff's not exactly Milan though is it?" The Welshman's nose wrinkled at the thought of the high street shops currently sporting window displays of what would only be described as regurgitated Eighties fashion. "I'd rather just wear a bed sheet wrapped around like a toga."

"If that's the way you feel, I could always give it a shot and make you a dress?"

"You don't have to do that Ianto, I'm sure we'll find a least one decent department store to purchase from. Seto probably won't even know the difference between a wedding dress and a regular one anyway…"

"But you would." Ianto watched himself break eye contact with him. "Let me do this for you as a token of gratitude for what you did back there. It wouldn't be anything too fancy as time is sparse, - so don't go get your hopes up for a 25 foot train, - but at least I'd be able to create a dress that you'd be happier with over one bought just for the sake of having something to wear." A smile grew on Kisara's face. "It can be your something new, and one step closer to filling out the traditional good luck requirements."

"What?" There was a puzzled look on the Welshman's face.

"Don't you know the saying?" Gwen asked but clearly Kisara did not as her colleague's face still look none the wiser. "_Something old, Something new, Something borrowed, Something blue_."

"_And a silver sixpence in her shoe._" Ianto was quick to add. "A lot of people forget that last line. It's an old Victorian proverb which if you manage to fill the requirements on your wedding day, then it'll bring you luck good throughout your marriage."

"Well that explains the high divorce rate then." Gwen jested with a laugh. It was a good thing she didn't believe such nonsense otherwise she and Rhys were most certainly doomed. But her non-belief of the proverb wouldn't stop her from helping the other woman, - man, - fulfil his, - hers.

"How do I fill out the requirements?" Kisara asked curiously as the small group of them began to head off towards the indoor market to buy the materials they'd need. Subconsciously she reached down to take hold of Anathema's hand.

"I don't want to hold your hand uncle Yanto." The little girl moaned and then unknowingly took hold of the man contained inside the woman's body.

"It's easy. What do you have, - accessible to you for tomorrow might I add, - that's old?"

"Would Jack count?" Gwen asked as she saw Kisara struggling to come up with anything as the man's face was lost in thought. "He'll be giving her away."

"Oh, I think he more than qualifies as old." The other woman chuckled. "So that's two down since the dress will be the something new. Now you need something borrowed."

"What shoe size are you?"

Kisara looked down at the shiny black shoes and smirked. "Usually I am six."

"There you go then, you can borrow a pair of my shoes for tomorrow." Gwen said confidently before she grabbed hold of the suit sleeve and dragged the surprised looking Welshman over to stare in through the nearby florist's window. Inside they could see two women behind the counter, working together to make up a huge bunch of white roses and blue hydrangea. "And I'm fairly sure that that is your requested bouquet they are making right now."

"Something blue." Kisara whispered in awe as she watched the women now begin to add the finishing touches in the form of ribbons and bows. "Now all I need is the sixpence."

"That's going to be tricky." Ianto spoke in the feminine tone. "The sixpence has been out of circulation for decades now…"

"I'm on it!" Gwen was busy rummaging through her purse.

"Don't tell me that you just happen to have one?" Kisara's eyebrows were raised incredulously.

"No, of course I don't." She snorted and pulled out a tiny silver coin to hold up and show them. "There!"

"Tch!" The bright blue eyes rolled in the head of the silvery haired woman. "Gwen, that's a five pence piece."

There was a wide toothy grin in return. "Gotta take the recession into account too."

"Works for me!" The Welshman giggled as Kisara eagerly took the coin from the woman next to her and began to turn it over in her male hands. _That's all of the requirements fulfilled, so maybe luck is changing and things are starting to look up from now on?_

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Seto sat on the threadbare settee in the main area of the hub and stared down at the open box containing the two plain gold wedding bands. A smile crossed his face at the thought that it wasn't long now before his big moment of officially pledging his life to the woman he loved.

"If that smile gets any bigger then your head will split in two." Jack chuckled as he came out of his office after sorting out a couple of non-avoidable work related chores.

"What you mean is that you don't want competition between us to see who is happiest." He smirked in reply.

"That too." The captain confessed and held his hand out as he demanded the rings from his friend. "Give 'em here. I'll put them somewhere safe until the morning. We don't want you losing them during our night out."

The CEO gave a groan at the thought of the evening awaiting him but obediently handed the now-closed box to his friend.

"Ta!" Jack disappeared into his office.

As he watched the cheerful older man stride away whistling to himself, Seto couldn't help but smile inwardly at how contented they both were with their lives. There were only one or two things that could heighten their happiness and he knew just what would have that effect on his friend. He waited for the other man to exit the office and then asked, "Have you given any more thought to my proposition?"

Jack stopped whistling and his friend's words seemed to have the exact opposite reaction to their intent as the cheerfulness drained from his face. "No, I haven't."

"Why not?" He knew that the captain longed to have his brother back, and he himself was willing and prepared to pay whatever it cost to rehabilitate the younger man once thawed from the cryogenic status he was currently residing in.

"There's too much that needs fixing with Gray, possibly too much to ever make a difference…"

"That's what therapy is for…"

"Therapy costs…"

"Don't worry about the costs, I'll pay whatever…"

"I don't want your money Seto!" Jack snapped his irritant at his friend pushing him to enter into uncomfortable emotional territories.

"You were happy to accept it a few hours ago!" The CEO had a feeling that he'd pushed too far but still couldn't contain his own annoyance at not being confided in like he had hoped.

"That was different!" The captain snapped back and not wanting to turn things into a heated argument, felt that he needed to share just the teeniest bit more information to make his friend understand. "He's also going to need a hell of a lot of my time and attention. I just haven't got that right now, not with Ianto …"

"… _I love it when you call, I love it when you call, I love it when you call, but you never call at all…"_

"You better get that." Jack told the younger man as his friend's cell phone emitted the loud ringtone, and used the diversion to escape back into his office were he planned to collect and regain control of the emotions that had started to falter.

Seto stared at the caller display and gave another smile at seeing his brother's name flash on the screen. "Hey Mokie, I guess you're calling to be picked up from the airport now, right?"

There was an almost dreaded tone to the younger Kaiba's voice as he spoke. "I'm sorry Seto, but I have some bad news."

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**A/N: Writing Ianto and Kisara together like this is kinda confusing but on their own it's not so bad, and yep you were following it correctly starwefter. (also lol that the swearing wasn't replaced/deleted from your review)**

**:)**

**KG  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**No reviews? Is it really that bad that nobody wants to tell me so? :(**

**Chapter Seven**

The CEO couldn't move.

"Seto?"

He was frozen with the shock of what he had just heard. _This can't be happening?! _Somehow he found the strength to move his thumb and cancel the tone of the already dead line that was sounding out from his cell phone, and then let it drop to crash on the floor.

"Seto, what's wrong?" Jack came hurrying out of the doorway of his office where he had been standing as he watched the final moments of his friend's conversation.

There was a flap of the younger man's mouth but no sound came out, and then suddenly his lips were clamped tightly, along with his eyes and his head sank to fall down to almost between his legs were he sat on the edge of the battered settee. With his elbows resting on his knees, Seto ran the fingers of both his hands through his hair and with frustration, griped at their contents so tightly that it almost brought tears to his eyes. He breathed deeply and replayed the phone conversation in his head……

_# "I'm sorry Seto, but I have some bad news."_

"_Bad news?" His heart flipped. "Did the plane get diverted?"_

"_No, the plane left and arrived safely, but…" There was an extremely long pause._

"_But what?" His heart pounded double time as he waited for more information._

"_We weren't on it." Mokuba finally found his voice and then quickly added. "I'm sorry bro; it's all my fault…"_

"_What happened?!" Seto snapped, his voice filled with colliding anguish and irritation. "Why didn't you me call sooner?!"_

"_Oh believe me, I wanted to call you but they wouldn't let us." The younger brother assured._

"_Us? They? Mokie, you're not making sense, rewind to when you last sent me the message and go from there."_

_There was another moment of silence before Mokuba began his recall of events. "Our flight got delayed once more, and naturally wanting explanations, I went to interrogate some of the airport staff, things got a little out of hand and…"_

"_And?" He found it hard to stay calm and growled with frustration at his brother dragging out what he wanted to know._

"_Let's just say that because of my actions I was remanded in custody and not allowed to board the flight when it finally left a short while ago. They also didn't allow Becky or Naoko to fly either …"_

"_Whoa, back up a little! Custody?"_

"_I couldn't help it, I lost my temper…"_

"_Oh Mokie." Seto groaned as his head sank into his free hand. He'd very rarely seen his brother lose his temper but knew that he was capable of doing so, and without him there to steer the situation… "How bad was it? Did they press charges against you?" Any thoughts of his wedding had been overridden in favour of his sibling's welfare._

"_Bad enough that I'm being sued for assault..." _

_Another groan from the older brother at the thought of what it would do to the younger's reputation within the following months to come._

"… _but they've granted me permission to travel on the next flight over..." _

_There was a sigh of partial relief at hearing that his brother was allowed to travel despite the unfortunate incident. _

"… _Our plane is scheduled to leave in several hours, but I doubt that we'll make it in time for the actual ceremony." A pause as Mokuba waited for his brother to say something but nothing came. "I'm sorry Seto."_

_Still there was nothing from the older Kaiba as he sank into his thoughts. His brother wasn't going to be able to make it for the joyous occasion; another spanner in the works, spoiling his momentous day. Oh why hadn't he just taken his Welsh friend's advice and told UNIT were to 'shove it' from the start? _

"_Well? Say something! Yell at me if you want to …"_

"_Why would I yell at you?"_

"_Because I ruined your big day."_

"_You didn't ruin it Mokie." Seto reassured. "Shouting about it isn't going to change the situation, and besides, you're my brother. I can't stay mad at you, even if it had been all your fault." The only person he placed blame with right now was himself, hating what he had done previously to cause the delays and dubious about what he was going to do next. "We've come across a hitch here too…"_

"_That 'hitch' will be solved by the morning!" Jack pointed out from where he stood eavesdropping on the one-sided phone call from the doorway of his office. He sunk further back into the room and out of the conversation after receiving a disapproving glare from those annoyed sapphire eyes. _

"… _postponing the wedding, - again, - would be the best option. That way in a couple of months time, once we've sorted your assault case…"_

"_Oh no, don't you go planning this whole thing around me!" Mokuba exclaimed in a curtly manner. "If what I overheard Jack say is true, then you go ahead as planned!"_

"_I can't, you're my best man…"_

"_Stop making excuses!"_

_Seto fell silent knowing that his brother's words were indeed true. He was just making excuses now. Even though they were both adults and he'd been to the exact same point a couple of times, - and once drastically beyond, - over the years, he still couldn't let go of his baby brother. He was still vastly important to him, even with the love of his life finally found and by his side. Would there ever be a time when he wouldn't feel that way about Mokuba?_

"_You've got your life to lead bro, and I'm not always going to be part of every moment, no matter how much you may want it."_

"_But…"_

"_I told you, no excuses!!" The younger brother's words were literally barked down the phone before he gave a frustrated sigh and changed his angle to get his message across. "Tell me what you remember about my wedding Seto."_

_The older brother froze at being asked to recall his memories from that time. "I wasn't there." He managed to find his voice, it was extremely faint as his mind travelled back to the five months when the two of them had been on non-speaking terms with each other after having fallen out over Mokuba's choice to propose to his long term sweetheart. It was a painful memory to remember as missing out on the eventful occasion was one of the few things that Seto ever regretted in his life._

"_Exactly." Mokuba's words were flat and emotionless as he spoke, knowing that some unpleasantness had been caused by mentioning his wedding. "It was an extremely hard decision to make and go ahead with as I wanted you there. But that wasn't possible because of our dispute, so Noah stepped in and, - without you, - we went ahead with the rest of the wedding plans that had been made. Why? Because it was mine and Becky's big day. And tomorrow is yours and Kisara's. Not mine. Yours." _

_Mokuba paused to let his brother mull over the fact that the ceremony would continue without his presence there and was then caught by the pleas of help from his wife. "I'm sorry Seto but I have to go now, Becky needs my help with sorting out the twins. Go ahead with the ceremony as planned and we'll see you sometime tomorrow, okay?" The phone-line went dead as the younger brother hung up from the call. #_

"Seto?" Jack was still trying to coax the younger man. "Speak to me."

Taking one final deep breath, the CEO calmly reached out for his fallen cell phone and without looking at his friend simply stated, "Mokuba isn't going to make it here in time for the service. I need a new best man."

"Well I can't do it; I'm giving Kisara away …!"

"Sorry to disappoint you Jack, but on this occasion _you_ weren't my first choice of a replacement." He speed dialled his fiancée's number and waited for it to be answered.

"Hello?" Kisara's voice came down the line.

"Yan, I need to ask a huge favour of you." It seemed eerily weird for him to acknowledge the body swap so easily and not to be freaked out by it now.

"Ask away."

"Due to a string of problems with the flights from Domino, Mokuba isn't going to be able to make it and …"

"You'd like me to be your best man?" Ianto foresaw the rest.

"Yes."

There was a pause as the Welshman thought things over in his head. He would be immensely busy staying up all night to make the wedding dress, so how was he going to find the time to prepare the speech that was expected of the best man to perform? But he also couldn't let his friend down by rejecting the request. What was he going to do? Since he'd already taken up the other task first there was no choice, he'd have to explain the time consuming situation he faced and hope that Seto would understand why he wasn't able to do both. "I'd be honoured to, b…"

"Great!" The first few words to leave his friend's mouth caused Seto to unknowingly leap to the wrong conclusion. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Yeah, well, you know how much I hate to disappoint." Ianto muttered with a feminine deadpan tone. He now didn't have the heart to continue with his original aim and shatter the other man's excited assumption, so he would simply go ahead and play the part required of him.

"Thanks Yan, I know you've been busy with lots of other arrangements for tomorrow. By the way, how are they going? Smoothly I hope."

"They erm …" He stalled, wondering if it was indeed wise to reveal the role of seamstress he was undertaking. Not to mention the fact that he still had to verify the go ahead with the reception's venue, caterers and band, who had all been fed-up with being cancelled for each of the previous abandoned dates that they refused to confirm their participation until the last possible minute. That was why he still had to phone them, - as part of their agreement, - one last time the day before, to make sure that the deals were closed. "A couple of check-up calls to make and that's it, nothing to worry." He lied.

"Good." Seto stated. "I'll see you at the Millennium Centre in the morning." He hung up.

Ianto was careful to end the call on his, - Kisara's, - cell phone as he removed it from the carefully balanced position on his dainty womanly shoulder. Whilst he'd been conversing he had remained focused on changing the sewing machine's needle which he had been in the process of doing before taking the call. And so, he had carefully replaced the thick spike that was used to mend his lover's greatcoat on many occasions, with a much thinner one that was more ideal for hemming the delicate materials purchased to construct the wedding dress.

Now that the needle and machine was all re-threaded once again, he decided that a quick snack was in order before he set to work on adding to the boringly bland white dress that had been bought to work as the canvas for his creation, and left his living room to head towards the kitchen of his apartment. He was there alone, insisting that he would be okay and that Gwen and Kisara should continue their girly night-in. It had been a struggle to part from the four-year-old who refused to leave his side, - her 'Mommy Kara's' side, - but after the promise of however much ice cream she wanted, had agreed to stay behind in his colleague's home.

Instinctively the small coffee maker was switched on and Ianto rummaged through his cupboards looking for something nice to eat and accompany his hot beverage. He found a gigantic bar of plain chocolate and positioned it next to his mug on the counter as he waiting for the coffee beans to grind and brew. _Stop! _He told himself as he looked and paid closer attention to the objects on the surface in front of him. _I highly doubt that Kisara would approve of those being ingested by her body._

Before they had parted, his friend's fiancée, himself, - _that's too weird to even think about!_ - had taken him to one side and explained about her specific dietary needs. Remembering what he'd been told, he placed away the confectionary back into the cupboard and abandoned the steaming hot, and oh so heavenly smelling, coffee.

A carton of orange juice was taken from the refrigerator and a glass poured before placed back, and the milk taken out to now rest on the counter whilst he reached for the cornflakes and emptied some into a bowl. The milk was added on top of the bowl's contents and returned to the shelf inside the refrigerator's door.

Ianto let no time go to waste as he ran through several ideas for a possible speech outline whilst he ate and drank his snack. He had a long, hard and tiresome night ahead of him; one he knew would pass by a lot quicker than he would usually anticipate. Just where was Jack's doctor and his time machine when you really needed him?

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**A/N: Next chapter, the stag-night begins!**

**KG  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

_I can't believe that I agreed to follow through with this! _Seto's mind growled as he sat, along with the other four men who accompanied him, at the small table of the pub where they were forced into listen to the woman singing karaoke on the small stage.

"… _It's the way you love me, it's a feeling like this. It's centrifugal motion, it's perpetual bliss. It's that pivotal moment, it's, - ah, - impossible. This kiss, this kiss. Unstoppable. This kiss, this kiss …"_

_At least her voice holds a tune. _The CEO thought to himself.

Knowing that his friend loved to sing, he then wondered if Jack had brought them here on purpose. Just what were the chances of all the bars in the city's centre and they just _happened_ to find themselves drinking inside one holding a karaoke night?

"… All I'm saying is that strip clubs, - or at least a single _female_ stripper, - are a must for Stag nights!" Banana Boat complained as he sat next to his best buddy since secondary school. "It's a little bit boring otherwise."

"Yeah, but it's not up to you is it mate." Rhys laughed in response to his friend's whining and gave the other, - slightly younger, - man next to him a firm slap on the back. "It's Seto's night."

A wave of lager gushed over the glass' brim as the force from the clasp caused Seto to spill the pint he had raised to his mouth. Luckily the liquid missed landing on him and splattered over the table top instead. _I don't care if he's Gwen's husband; if he does that to me again I'll floor him!_

"You wanna be more careful, you almost spilt that there you did."

Andy's eyes rolled and he reached for the bar towel on a nearby and still vacant table. "Correction you idiot, he _did _spill it." He began to mop up the mess. "See how the table is all wet? That indicates that the drink left his glass. It fell out, down onto the table's surface, and the term used for such a thing is called a 'spillage'."

"Don't be a twat all your life!"

"Look who's talking!"

"Now boys, lets not argue." The captain dispelled the argument that was likely to break out between the two Welshmen who held a minor dislike for each other.

The interaction between the five men died back into nothingness as they all sat there, uncomfortable with each other's presence. It was clear that all of them would have liked to have been somewhere else on their own right about now. But to be left on his own now was something Seto didn't want as he'd only end up wallowing in self pity over his brother's non attendance to his wedding.

Clapping filled the bar as the brunette finished her karaoke performance and began to make her way to rejoin the group of cheering friends who where huddled in the very back corner and furthest possible away from the stage. Seto couldn't help but feel slightly envious as he watched her pass by him and would have gladly swapped seats with them if asked as he hated being so close to the central point of the bar's activity.

"Oh yes, I'd definitely _do_ her!" Banana Boat grinned, showing off his uneven set of slightly bucked teeth as his gaze focused on the woman's behind as she walked to rejoin her table. "She's gotta be what, at least forty? That's a little old for my liking but with a body like that I'd still _very _much bang her all night long…"

"Hey!" Jack barked his disapproval. "She's a person, not a piece of meat, so respect her like you would any other human being!" He gave a glaring look as he raised his glass of water to take a drink.

"Chill Jack!" Rhys came to his friend's defence. "He was only voicing out loud his thoughts. Don't tell me that you weren't thinking the same."

As much as he would hate to admit it, Seto agreed with what the Welshman had said about the captain. The older man was quick to think of such things himself, so why had he gotten all wound up about the one woman?

Calmly Jack placed his glass back down. "Okay, if we're thinking out thoughts aloud then here's one for you." He crossed his arms and stared directly at Rhys. "Narna here wants a stripper, so why not call your other half and get her to come down here with her old police officers' uniform and give us a show we'd all like to see?"

The CEO's eyes almost bulged out of his head at what he had heard. He was aware that at one point the captain had had feelings for the woman in question, but he didn't seriously mean what had been said, or did he? No, Jack couldn't have, as he'd been assured that those feelings had long passed, so had to have been making a point about being disrespectful towards others. But now that it had been mentioned, why couldn't he get _that_ image of Gwen out of his head?

"That's my wife you're talking about Jack!"

"Touch a nerve did I?" He sneered back and leant forwards across the table to hiss his final point. "It's not nice to hear such things spoken aloud, is it?"

"Okay, I get the point." Rhys insisted as he became intimidated by the heated stare. "Banana, next time keep yer trap shut!"

Silence fell across the group once more.

"So Seto, why don't you tell us more about yourself?" Andy asked with a malicious glint in his eye as he broke through the stillness with his words. "After all, we are here to celebrate your Stag-night and we know next to buggery about you."

"There's nothing to tell." A glare was sent the strawberry-blonde's way as a deterrent not to raise the incident that had been interrupted between him and the Welshwoman behind the castle grounds on that wet and rainy rain.

"Sure there is." Rhys spoke up. "Like, for example, what do you do for a living? Gwen tells me that she _used to_ work with you, so that must mean that you're no longer a part of Torchwood."

"Torchwood?"

Jack sent another hateful glare at his team-mate's husband for having mentioned the name of the 'supposedly secret' organisation.

"What's Torchwood?" Banana Boat asked again since his first enquiry had gone unnoticed.

"Special ops." The PC came to rescue the situation. He was well aware of what Torchwood actually was after having helped out several times in the past, and was still working on weaving his way in to becoming part of the team. "But it's all very hush-hush, go around blabbing about it and they'll hunt you down. I had this one friend who…"

"Thank you Andy, but exaggerated horror stories aren't necessary." The captain chuckled and then spoke to the perplexed bucktooth face. "But if you _do_ go blabbing, I _will_ hunt you down and then you'll be sorry."

Seto gave a smirk and suppressed the laughter trying to escape him as he remembered the maid's outfit he'd been forced to wear as punishment once. His friend was the kind of man who would rather humiliate any wrongdoers and only resort to violence in extreme circumstances, but from the way he talked, the Welshman was non the wiser.

"So…" Rhys pulled the conversation back on track. "What is it that you do now Seto?"

"I run a company." He really had no intention of conversing with any of the Welshmen gathered around the table.

"Ooo, so do I!"

"You're the manager of a haulage firm." Jack shot with a malevolent tone as he continued to stare at the Welshman he gravely disliked.

"Well it's in charge 'init?! I make sure that everything runs smoothly."

"Yeah, but that's nothing compared to Seto!"

"Jack!" Seto growled warningly through his teeth. He had no intention of being used as a tool to fuel the already bitter feelings between the two men.

"Oh, and what makes him so great?" Rhys jeered on but got no reply from the other man who respected his friend's silent wishes to quit the petty quibbling.

"Do you happen to read the papers at all?" Andy asked his friend's husband rather cynically.

"'Course I do!"

"I mean besides the footy and the ruby sections?" They was no reply to the strawberry-blonde's query. "Thought not." He smirked smugly and then added, "If you were to read the Echo from the front instead of the back then you'd be aware of just who it is that's sat next to you."

"You know who Seto is?" Jack asked in amazement as he turned, and for the first time since meeting him several years ago, _actually_ paid attention to the younger Welshman and what he had to say. Maybe he'd underestimated and written him off as a bumbling idiot like the other two men seated with them?

"It's a bit hard _not_ to know who he is when he's been in the news a fair bit recently with his current European conquest."

_Now I get his game! _Seto sneered inside his head. _This guy's been doing his research and raised the issue of my identity in order to appear smarter in front of Jack, hoping it'll work as a spring board to get him accepted into Torchwood. _He smirked again._ Well he's in for a surprise as Jack's not that gullible. _

"Nice observation skills PC Davidson." The captain smiled. "Taking note on the stories and issues most of the population tend to ignore. If you agree to perform a duet with me later once this place has livened up a little, then I'll genuinely think seriously about accepting your request to join my team."

_What?! What the hell is Jack playing at? Surely people from the UK aren't that dim-witted that this guy is seen as intelligent?_ He thought about a couple of the Doctor's companions that he'd met, - namely the redhead who he had now employed as part of his own company, and the mother of the blonde, - who weren't the brightest of the bunch. Both of them, when added with the other two Welshmen here helped him to draw his conclusion. _Perhaps they are, but I know for a fact that there are plenty of exceptions ... _

"Just how is taking part in the karaoke here meant to determine my ability to be part of your team?"

"Following orders. You do as I say, no complaining, and you're one step closer to joining."

"Ah, I gotcha!" Andy nodded, his lips pursed together to stop himself from grinning at finally having achieved his goal. Soon he'd be working alongside his old colleague again. "But it's gotta be something classy, not cheesy like 'The Village People'."

"Of course." Jack smiled and the CEO instantly knew from that Cheshire cat grin that his friend had no intention of allowing the other man to ever become part of Torchwood and was merely toying with him.

"I'm quite partial to a bit of Tom Jones." Banana Boat nodded as he became lost in his own thoughts about taking part in the sing-along. "In fact …" He left his words open as he pushed up from his seat and to then approach the abandoned karaoke machine.

"Okay, stop keeping me in suspense and tell me who the hell you are!" Rhys snapped impatiently.

An overdue zealous smirk crept on the face of the man seated beside him as it couldn't be kept back any longer. "Seto Kaiba, the CEO of Kaiba Corporation."

"Oh, I see." The Welshman looked puzzled and then went on to ask, "What's a CEO?"

"It means he's the big boss." Jack grinned in a haughty manner whilst both of the men sat at either side of him recovered from shock at hearing the dumb question that had been asked.

"Ah!" Rhys winced. "I see now how I'm completely inferior to you."

_Damn right you are! _ The snide, self-righteous remark, - the first one Seto had felt for months now, - was kept to himself as he took another mouthful of his pint.

"_I saw the light on the night that I passed by her window. I saw the flickering shadows of love on her blind. She, was, my woman. As she deceived me I watched and went out of my mind…" _

Seto groaned at hearing the amateur warbling start-up again as the bucktooth Welshman took the microphone and very badly, attempted to sing.

"_My, my, my, Delilah! Why, why, why, Delilah?!"_

_This is going to be a long and excruciatingly painful night!_

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**A/N: The songs that were sung as part of the karaoke in this chapter are, 'This kiss' by Faith Hill, and 'Delilah' by Tom Jones.**

**KG  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**Extra big thanks to starwefter for the reviews :)**

**Chapter Nine**

Over the course of the last couple of hours, the bar they had chosen to remain in gradually began to fill up with a crowd. Many of the new customers were regulars there to drown their sorrows from Wales having lost the ruby match that had been played earlier that evening. The karaoke had also become so popular that names now had to be placed down in advance, instead of the usual walk up and take the microphone approach like when the small group of five men had first arrived.

Not surprisingly, it was relatively quiet amongst them, so Rhys attempted to make conversation, - again for the umpteenth time, - after having downed the last of his pint. "How come Ianto chose to spend the night with the girls and not here with us men?"

"Dunno." Jack shrugged lazily with his lie as he contemplated buying the next round and possibly adding something to the Welshman's drink to stop him from opening his mouth to speak for the rest of the night. Just about everything to leave his lips had been nothing short of irritating and now it was starting to slur slightly as the alcohol began to have an effect at temporarily impairing the man's already numb brain.

"And what about the other guy?" Rhys received a confused look from the captain. "You know, that ginger fella? What's his name? Adam I think, or did he leave too?"

"I have no idea who you're taking about." That was it, Jack wouldn't be able to stand much more of listening to the rubbish spewing from Gwen's husband's mouth. How Seto had coped to remain so calm, he'd never know. Well actually that was a lie as he did know since the amount of alcohol his friend had downed willingly, - and unknowingly as the captain had seen Dumb and Dumber add chaser shots to his friend's pint when they thought no-one was looking, - was what kept him so placid. And if he didn't have to worry about things seeping through the Cardiff rift then he'd also be in a similar state himself to help get through the night. He pushed himself up from his seat. "Same again?"

After receiving several nods and grunts, the captain was on his way weaving through the crowd of rowdy rugby supporters and listened to the current karaoke singer who had not long started his song. _"… The rain falls down, I'm soaking through. I'm an old man, inside a young man's suit. My crocodile shoes, are crying too, for they know how much love I have for you …"_

Jack reached the bar and patiently waited to be served along with the brunette who had performed on stage when it had been a lot quieter. He tried to make conversation with her. "I heard you sing earlier." Nothing in response to his words. "You were good. Not just good, but _really_ good."

The woman continued to stare straight on over the bar as though ignoring his presence. Her eye's peering in their corners towards him gave away the fact that she had registered the captain. "Thank you." She simply muttered and then began to give her order to the bartender who had finally gotten around to serving her.

"Let me, I'll get these." Jack insisted as he took out his wallet and prepared to pay for the woman's round of drinks.

"I don't want you to; I'm perfectly capable of paying for them myself." She took out her purse and as a twenty pound note was removed, something else, - shiny as light bounced off its glossy surface, - came with it and fluttered down to the floor.

Without a second thought, Jack bent down to retrieve the fallen photograph for the brunette. "Is this recent?" He asked.

"Taken just last week."

"Wow!" A smile crossed his face at seeing the blonde haired boy staring back at him. "Steven's growing fast. A lot taller than the last time I saw him."

"Your last visit _was_ several months ago."

"That long?" The smile dropped from the captain's face as he remained clutching tightly at the photo in his grasp and his eyes met with the woman's. "Please let me see him again Alice."

She slowly shook her head. "You can't."

"Why can't I?" His voice almost broke.

"You know why."

Back over at the small table, Seto sat lost in thoughts of what he'd rather be doing right now, most of them involving the woman he loved. Quickly he shook them from his mind before the other three men, - or anyone else for that matter, - noticed his daydreaming gaze. He needn't have worried though as all three Welshman seemed absorbed in the carefully balanced pyramid of beer mats that Banana Boat had constructed on the table's top. Maybe he _could_ have enjoyed his thoughts that little bit longer?

_Flomp! _The beer mats flopped down into a messy heap and the bucktoothed man happily started his task all over again.

"Well, this is the most bloody boringest Stag-night I've ever been on!" Andy huffed. "It's almost as bad as that time that I saw 'Marley and Me' in the cinema."

"Oh, that film about the puppy!" Rhys chirped excitedly. "It's on the telly tomorrow night; I'm looking forward to watching it …"

"Don't bother, the dog fucking dies!"

Seto felt the need to snicker at seeing the truly shocked and appalled look on Gwen's husband's face at having the film spoilt for him.

"You're such a prick!" Rhys sneered at the PC for ruining his TV viewing for the following day.

There was a screech of the microphone that hurt almost everyone's ears as a member of the bar's staff called the next participant for the karaoke. "Next up is Randy Jack."

"I think you'll find that's actually meant to be 'Andy and Jack'." The strawberry-blonde corrected the caller as he got up from his seat and approached the stage.

"That's not what's written on my sheet here."

"You don't hear Jack complaining." Rhys smirked as it had been him who had purposefully written the duo on the list before entering his own name underneath and, - unknowingly to the CEO, - Seto's below that.

"Wanker!" Andy sneered his latest retort at his friend's husband for having written the prank name. He then called into the microphone which cut out mid sentence. "Jack! Get your arse …!"

"I'll get him for you." Seto offered as he stood up and swayed slightly before making his way over towards the bar to retrieve his friend and stumbled in on the conversation between the older man and the brunette from before.

"… then at least let me spend some time with you." The captain now had hold of the woman's hand and his eyes practically begged her to agree to his request.

"He's not bothering you, is he miss?" Seto asked as he stopped and rested his elbow on the other man's shoulder to help steady his drunken self.

"No, he's not." Alice assured with a faint quivering smile. She then gave Seto the once over and grinned as she spoke to Jack. "Very nice, he's definitely your type."

"Oh no, we're not …" The captain began to correct her assumption only to have the CEO now fully wrap an arm over his shoulders.

"I loves him, I do." Seto grinned roguishly.

"So do I." The woman suppressed a laugh aimed at the newcomer's inebriated state and carefully picked up the drinks she had ordered, that were standing on the bar along with the captain's. "See you around." Alice leant forward, kissed Jack on the cheek and allowed him to kiss her back in the same way before she returned to her table full of friends.

"I'm telling Yanto you've got a woman on the go as well as him." Seto teased as his view remained on the brunette who he'd seen his friend get all defensive about over the bucktoothed Welshman's sexual remark earlier in the evening.

"You'll do no such thing, 'cause I haven't." Jack took a deep breath to help calm himself as he knew that his friend's jeering words were fuelled by the excessive amount of alcohol that had been consumed.

The CEO tried another taunt. "A one night stand was she?"

Failing to keep his cool any longer, the older man forcefully threw the arm from around his shoulder to send the younger man stumbling backwards into a largely built Wales supporter who swore loudly in response to the collision. "You have _no_ idea what Alice means to me!" Jack hissed.

Seto nodded with a bewildered look on his face. He'd clearly overstepped some kind of mark involving the woman. Although he and Jack had become good friends, - knowing secrets that they weren't prepared to tell others, - there were still _many_ things that remained a mystery to each of them.

With his back now facing his friend, the captain gradually gathered up the drinks he had purchased. It was a little tricky carrying five pint glasses on his own, but he didn't trust the younger man's sense of balance to not drop them if he was to share his load. "Come on, let's get back to the others."

The two men weaved their way back through the crowd to their table and Jack carefully placed the drinks on the surface top.

"What the hell is that?" Banana Boat asked as he saw the glass of water, three pints of lager and the fifth glass which contained a yellow-ish liquid.

"Cider, and it's _Seto's_, so no drinking it."

"No chance of that happening." The bucktoothed man snorted and his pyramid toppled once more.

"But wasn't he drinking lager with us three?" Rhys asked slightly confused at why the younger man had had his beverage changed, but suspected that the captain was aware of the extra shots he and his buddy had been slipping in, and had changed to a different drink which would make it more noticeable through taste to the unsuspecting CEO.

"It's my round and Seto drinks whatever I give him." Jack smiled like an idiot as he watched the two Welshmen commence drinking the pints he'd bought them. He then proceeded to guide his friend to sit on the chair and not in the nearby rubbish bin before handing him the apple based drink.

"Oi, are we doing this duet or not?" Andy spoke into his newly working karaoke mic, causing the captain to stride up onto the stage beside him. He covered his microphone head, lowered his voice and then asked, "What song are we meant to be singing anyway?"

"It's a surprise." Jack grinned back and took hold of his mic. He signalled to the staff member to start the music and then his attention was drawn to the doors of the pub as they burst open and in staggered a man who was bleeding quite badly.

"Somebody, please, help me!" The man's voice was full of hysterics. "I've been attacked by a monster! Call an ambulance quick, before I bleed to death!"

_Weevils!_ Jack thought instantly and knew that his night of fun was over as his work duties were now going to have to take priority. He turned to his singing partner and expressed his apology as their karaoke track was just starting to play. "I'm sorry, but I'm gonna have to sit this one out."

"B-but …" Andy stuttered in a horrified manner, terrified in equal proportions of being left alone and by the trumpet intro of the chosen song.

"Carry on without me." The captain insisted as he leapt down from the stage and gave a farewell smile. "Just remember to form your Cs to the left, not to the right!"

"I'll come with you!" Seto scrambled to his feet and almost toppled head first into the bin beside him.

"You can barely stand, never mind provide assistance to me." Jack set him back down beside Rhys who he now spoke to, "Take care of him and I'll be back once I'm done." He saw the Welshman nod his confirmation and then left to chase down the alien.

The karaoke track continued to play and, as instructed, the PC nervously began to speak the lyrics he'd been left to sing. _"Young man. There's no need to feel down, I said 'young man'. Pick yourself off the ground, I said 'young man'. 'Cause you're in a new town, there's, no, need, to, be, unhappy…"_

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Ianto's delicate feminine fingers fought with the sewing machine as the cotton had become tangled and knotted whilst hemming a wave of shimmering bridal lace. He'd made good progress since first starting, as now the original dress that had been purchased was completely unrecognisable beneath the folds of fabric that cascaded down in spiralling layers.

Carefully he cut the dress free and re-threaded the machine again before giving a tired yawn. He was sleepy and keeping his eyes open without the aid of a caffeine drink inside his female body was an added struggle.

Kisara may not have wanted him to down any of his wondrous coffee but having an extra strong mug to inhale the aroma from time to time surely wasn't going to do any harm? It just might keep him awake long enough to at least complete one of his two importantly urgent tasks. He got up and entered the kitchen to make the drink whilst running over more possible best man speeches in his mind as he did so.

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Alice and her friends were just exiting the pub. They had been prompted into leaving by the drunken idiot who was now on stage singing along to a song which he had announced rather loudly, - and quite rudely in their eyes, - as a special dedication to the brunette.

"… _I don't know why she's leaving, or where she's gonna go. I guess she's got her reasons but I just don't wanna know. 'Cause for twenty-four years, I've been living next door to Alice."_

"_Alice?! Who the fuck is Alice?!" _Almost the entire pub was singing along to the song which the CEO had chosen to voice his internal nagging question relating to the woman's relationship with his friend.

"_Twenty-four years just waiting for the chance, to tell her how I feel and maybe get a second glaaannnce…!" _Seto lost his balance and tumbled down off the stage whilst the music and crowd continued without his vocals.

"Okay, that's enough." The manager of the pub told the two men that helped to get the fallen man back onto his feet. "Your friend's clearly wasted, take him home."

"But it's his Stag-night!" One of them protested.

"Out!" The manager ordered with a forceful gesture of pointing towards the doors, his two security guards were preparing to step in if any trouble arose.

"Come on mate, we'll go some place else." The other stated as he placed and arm under Seto's and with his friend's help, guided the man between them out of the building and into the night time streets of Cardiff's city centre.

"What about that Jack fella?" Banana Boat asked as he struggled with Seto's arm over his shoulders.

"He's got my cell number, he'll find us." Seto assured as the three of them staggered across the pavement.

"Why'd you choose to call it a cell and not a mobile?" Rhys asked about the term used for the other man's phone.

"It's what it is." The CEO tired to shrug as he answered the question before he lost track of what he had been asked, which had already sounded kind of hazy inside his swimming head.

"But why a cell?" Banana Boat pondered.

"That's what Americans call their batteries 'init." His friend explained.

"Bloody Yanks, forcing the rest of the world to use_ their_ language." The bucktooth man snorted in reply before adding. "What's their language called again?"

"English?" Seto offered.

"That's the one. The bloody English language! You won't catch me using it!"

All three men broke into an outburst of laughter.

"I think we've all had more than enough drink for tonight." Rhys concluded from his friend's nonsense. He was the most sober and straight thinking out of them.

"Does that mean we can move on to the strip club now?" Banana Boat was eagerly waiting for confirmation. "I wanna go, I'm sure Seto won't say no in his given state and neither will Andy…"

"Where is Randy?" Seto asked looking around him as best as he could with his arms over the two Welshmen. His vision wouldn't focus properly but he was sure that the other man wasn't with them.

"Go get 'im Col. I'll wait here with Seth …"

"Seto!" The CEO exclaimed as he corrected his name spoken by the other man. They may all be drunk and acting idiotic because of it, but he'd be damned if anyone was going to refer to him as anyone other than himself.

"Can't we just ditch him?" Banana Boat whined.

"No! Geez, never thought I'd say that!" Rhys surprised himself by the remark made regarding his wife's friend. He watched the other Welshman backtrack to the pub and then turned to Seto who was now managing to stand by himself again. "How you holding out there?"

"Never better."

"You sure?" He knew that he was nowhere near half as bad as the younger man but was now finding it hard to kept his eyes open and mind on track of the situation at hand. "We don't have too do the strippers ya know, Jack told me that you were prude and sheltered ..."

"Bring 'em on!" Seto shouted as he raised his fist in the air and staggered several paces backwards.

"I'm sure Banana will be pleased to hear that kind of enthusiasm." Rhys chuckled as he helped to steady the other again.

His head was swimming freely more than ever now, and Seto felt his rational thinking wash away as he opened his mouth to converse with his friend's husband. "Did you take to heart what Jack said earlier? About Gwen?"

"I guess I did a little." The Welshman admitted with sigh as he began the heart to heart talk with the man he hadn't expected to get along with at all. Maybe it was the drink, or the fact that he'd found out about the younger man's wealth that had helped change his mind? Possibly a mixture of both as he didn't usually approve of the company his other half kept. "But I think we're both used to Jack and his tendency to behave like a jerk the majority of the time to actually pay attention to his crudity."

"Crudity? Honesty more like." Seto snorted aloud the thought that would otherwise have remained unspoken. "I for one wouldn't object to seeing more of her. Last time I was too busy letting my hands do all of the work …"

"What?!" Had he heard that correctly?

A twisted smirk curved the other man's lips. "Didn't she tell you about me and her?"

"Are you telling me that _you've_ had your filthy hands on _my_ wife?!" Despite his drowsiness, Rhys now had something for his mind to focus on as he growled his infuriated response to what he had heard.

"And she loved every moment of it." The CEO sneered knowing the agitation he was causing the inferior male who was battling to contain himself. "Don't believe me, then ask Andy-Pandy, he interrupted us just as we were about to engage in a tongue feast. Or better still, call Gwen and ask her which one of us makes her quiver the most …"

_BAM! _The Welshman's fist collided with the smug bastard's face and sent him tumbling down to the ground. "Get up!" He roared. "Get the fuck up! Come face me! I'll pulverise you!"

There was no movement from the man sprawled out on the concrete floor.

"Seto?" The outburst of aggression faded as Rhys stared down at the motionless body. He wiped a hand across his face in shock at what he had done. "Christ, I didn't mean to kill you!" Nervously he crouched down and began to search for a pulse, hoping that there would be one.

There was.

"Don't fucking scare me like that!" He gasped with relief and forcefully prodded the unconscious man.

"Where's my Ki-za-za?" Seto mumbled as he stirred slightly, babbling randomness. "Drums inside head … no work today … my river's gone … damn Harkness … the birdie's tweets are mine … Mokuba? … never stops raining …" He finally fell into a silent slumber.

Rhys stood back up, the hatred returning to him now that he knew the other man wasn't seriously hurt. He fought to keep his heavy eyelids open as he felt like he was about to pass out himself, but the wanting to get to the bottom of the taunts involving the woman he loved kept him awake to seek out the answers. Taking his phone from his pocket, he was quick to dial her number and patiently, - well as patiently as he could master with the adrenaline still surging through his body, - waited for her to answer.

"Hello?" It was a man's voice that met his ears and his mind played all sorts of tricks about his wife's loyalty before he remembered what was currently taking place at his home.

"Ianto? Where's Gwen? Why are you answering her mobile?"

"She's in the bathroom and asked me to take the call for her."

"Oh." Rhys fell quiet at the simple reason given. "I'll hang on then. I really need to speak with her. It's _important_."

"Okay, she won't be much longer." Kisara assured and then acted as she assumed the Welshman would by making small talk with the woman's husband. "How's the Stag-do going?"

"You aren't missing much if that's what you mean. We ended up staying in the same place all night, had lots to drink and sang a couple of tracks on the karaoke. Jack's taken off after them weevil things, the rest of us have just left the pub only to find that Andy didn't come with us, so I've sent Banana back to get him whilst I wait with Seto who is … let's just say that he's well and truly hammered."

"I don't know, it sounds like an okay night to me." She had to place a hand across her masculine face to stop herself from giggling as the thought of the couple of times she'd since her fiancé tipsy brought back amusing memories to recall.

"Sorry mate, but that dry humour of yours isn't appreciated at this very moment." Rhys rubbed his eyes. "That Seto guy, he certainly has some …" He paused to consider his choice of words. "… _'Interesting'_ things to say when he's drunk."

Now biting down on the Welshman's tongue, Kisara wondered if the Care Bears theme had been sung yet as she fought harder to keep back her laughter.

A deep breath was taken as the nagging question was on its way to finding a voice. "I'm gonna ask you something, and I want you to be honest with me, okay?"

"Okay, I'll be as honest as I can." She hoped the question was going to be something she could answer.

"One of the things Seto said was … back when he worked for Torchwood … did he … erm …" Rhys found it hard to even contemplate the possibility of the fear he had. "Was he shagging my Gwen?"

Kisara froze at what she had heard. It shocked her to hear such a thing about her husband-to-be. If he had had something going between him and the woman in question during that time, then it was none of her business, mainly because it happened before the two of them had found each other. But Seto had told her in confidence that she was his first in just about every area of their relationship, so how much of it was true and which parts of it were lies now that she'd been made aware of this situation? A situation that she was pretty confident that the man she loved would never go against his morals and start a relationship with somebody else's lover.

"Please, Ianto, I need to know the truth." The man on the other end of the line was on the verge of tears. "Gwen tells me that you know practically everything that goes on within Torchwood, so tell me; were they together behind my back?"

"I'm afraid that I honestly don't have a clue. That's something you're going to have to ask her yourself." She really felt for the deceived husband as she listened to the toilet flush and then saw the dark haired woman return into the room. "And here she is right now." The cell phone was handed over and the Welshman's lips mimed, _'Rhys'_.

Gwen took the phone and then cheerily spoke to her husband. "Hi Love. Called to tell me how much you love me like you do every other time that you have a few too many?" She giggled and then looked at the display when all she heard was a blank line and frowned. "Must've lost the signal? Oh well, never mind, he'll call back again later if it was actually something important."

Kisara watched as the cell phone was placed to one side. She was curious to ask the woman herself, but like she had concluded just a few moments ago, it wasn't any of her business.

"Well then, where were we?"

"Men are like horoscopes; they always tell you what to do and are usually wrong." There was a faint sigh by the Welshman as Kisara decided that she should just forget what had been mentioned in the call from Rhys.

"Did we drink to it?"

"I'm not sure."

"One more's not going to hurt!" Gwen poured them both a shot of tequila which they knocked back together.

They'd watched a couple of DVDs and were now in the process of a drinking game as they downed a shot for each comparison made about the opposite sex. It had taken a little bit of persuading the non-drinking bride into participating, but after pointing out that she'd be crazy to pass by the chance of not waking up with a hang-over the next day, - poor Ianto, - she had agreed to a game, or two.

"Okay, your turn." The host slammed her glass back down onto the counter.

Ianto's brows knitted together whilst Kisara thought about her next example. A couple of seconds later and she had it. "Men are like cement; once they're laid they take ages to go hard."

"I concur!" Gwen broke out into a hysterical fit of laughter. "That one deserves two I think." She poured them some more shots and their night continued as such without anymore thought to their other halves.

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Tears silently seeped down Rhys face as he stood in the dark night of the city centre. He'd hung up purposefully on his call after, having thought about it whilst talking to the younger Welshman, he knew he couldn't bear questioning his wife over such accusations unless it was face to face. That way he'd be able to tell from her facial expressions if she was lying to him or not. But what if it was true and she had cheated on him? He'd dedicated himself solely to her since college, and why wouldn't he, he loved her to pieces? Was it really such a hard thing to ask for the same in return?

He thought about taking out all his doubts, anger and fears on the CEO who still lay unconscious at his feet but kicking a man while he was down in any circumstance just wasn't his style. There was also the slightest chance that it could all just have been the intoxicated mind speaking lies to start off with as he'd been far too quick to judge focused on the gut instinct he had had. But then again in his experience those kinds of instincts were very rarely wrong.

The battle with his eyelids was becoming too much for him now and he succumbed to the struggle as he allowed them to close. _Just for a few seconds. _He told himself as the darkness became blissfully inviting._ It may even help clear your mind._

"Hey Rhys, what are you, a horse?"

Opening his eyes again he saw the grinning face of the one and only captain Jack Harkness standing right in front of him. "Huh?"

"You were falling, - or already were, - asleep where you stand."

"Was I?"

"Uh-huh." The grinning man nodded. "Though now that I think about it, you'd be more like a donkey." He now wore a disapproving look for the group of men having left the pub where he had parted from them. "Where are the others?"

Rhys thought hard as his mind was all scattered and hazy. He wanted to return to the darkness and sleep. "Not too sure about Banana and Andy … Seto is right here."

"Where?" Jack asked as he and the other man were the only ones out on the street.

"Right there." The Welshman pointed to the ground just beyond where he stood. "Well he was there … I'm sure of it!" He thought some more. "Yep, definitely there … I remember … hitting him."

"You hit him?!" There was a hint of forged disbelief in the captain's words. "What the hell for?" He had a pretty strong feeling he knew why, as he was sure that Seto would reveal a secret or two in his drunken state which is what led him to add a dose of Retcon to each of the Welshman's drinks for when the inevitable happened. There were always some things that remained best left unsaid to protect others from harm.

"I'm not sure." His eyes closed again. "Can't … remember."

"No you don't!" Jack steadied Rhys as best as he could and slapped his face several times, knowing that if he were to fall into another more deeper sleep then there would be no chance of the night's incidents ever being recalled. "Stay with me Rhys, stay with me!"

"Tired …"

"We _need _to find Seto, so stay with me!" It was no use. The Welshman was already snoring as he slumped in the older man's arms. "Geez, you're a lot heavier than you already look!"

Panic began to set in as Jack frantically looked around them in the hope that there'd be a clue as to what had happened to his friend. "Shit!" He hissed in frustration. The last thing he had expected was to lose the groom in the early hours of the day of the wedding.

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**A/N: Karaoke songs featured in theis chapter are: 'Crocodile Shoes' by Jimmy Nail, 'YMCA' by Village People, and 'Living Next door to Alice (who the f#ck is Alice)' by Smokey (I don't think they were the first to release it though)**

**Alice and Steven - See, I'm trying to work series three in to the fic before it starts airing tonight.**

**Andy's humour was influanced greatly by Tom Price's antics at the Hub2 convention back in March. **

**Jack commenting about Rhys being a donkey is all Kai Owen's fault :P**

**And one last thing ...... Due to real life issues and with the exception of a few scenes here and there, I am now caught up on myself with what I have written for _all_ of my fics which means that I may not update as frequently as I had planned. It may be slow, but I will keep posting.**

**KG  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**Big thanks to starwefter for leaving a review :)**

**Chapter Ten**

Seto was dreaming. Voices were distant, images hazy, smells non existent, the timeframe in which everything happened was incoherent, but his emotions were still very much present. If nothing else, the fact that he was surrounded by multi cultural races of non-human life was what gave it away as he and Mokuba walked side by side through a crowded market place …

_# "For once, it looks like we can kick back and relax!" Mokuba stated._

"_Trouble has a tendency to follow us around, so I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you." Seto reminded his younger brother. "But you're right and we should enjoy ourselves while we can." _

_Though he felt his heart was heavy and still mourning over many losses which had wounded him greatly, he continued to laugh and joke with his brother and the natives they encountered as each of them in turn shared tales of their travels over a social drink._

"_Seto!"_

_Impulsively he turned his head towards the caller of his name and saw a sight that horrified him as Mokuba and Jack were sprinting towards them through the crowd._

"_We run, right?" His brother, - seated beside him, - asked._

"_We run, yes." He confirmed and then wasted no time darting off in the opposite direction of the doppelganger brother and his friend. _

_The liquid contents of his stomach from the beverage he had been enjoying sloshed with each step that was taken and grew progressively more aggressive at the same time until … #_

Seto awoke with a start. The memories of his bizarre dream were quick to fade into the depths of his mind but his stomach still churned. Swiftly he leapt from were he lay in the hotel bed and with a hand over his mouth, made a dash to the en-suite bathroom where he was violently sick. He had only just managed to aim into the toilet's basin and then sank down onto his knees where he stayed as more surges of his stomach's contents spouted out until there was nothing left for him to regurgitate.

His whole body ached and he groaned as he rested his forehead, - eyes closed, - on his arm that was leaning against the toilet's rim. _Today is not the day to have a hangover! _He told himself. _How could I have been so stupid?!_ There was a faint and rare feeling of self pity but knew that he only had himself to blame for having willingly downed the drinks that had been handed to him the night before.

The CEO took a moment to get his breath back and collect as many thoughts about the previous night whilst his head continued to pound and insist that remembering such things, - or indeed thinking at all, - wasn't such a good idea. _Oh well, it could have been worse, but after the things that have gone wrong so far, I hardly doubt so._

It was only then as he opened his eyes that he realised that he was completely naked and wore a pair of handcuffs that had been sawn in half. He groaned again. _I was wrong. _To the left of him he spotted a copy of _The Big Issue_ with a note, - in a certain captain's handwriting, - attached to it that read; _'You'll be needing this.'_ An angry growl rang through his head as he stood up and positioned the magazine over his lower regions. _I'm going to kill Jack_ _for whatever prank he's pulled!_

As he then proceeded back into the bedroom and approached the other door leading into the lounge of his luxury hotel accommodation, he could hear his friend's irritated voice. "… left him in your care!"

"I'm not a babysitter Jack; he's a grown man for god's sake." The voice was recognised as Gwen's idiot husband. "And besides it was Banana and those other guys who are at fault, not me."

"Thanks mate, nice to know whose side you're on!"

"Stop passing the buck on to others! Point is the pair of you can't be trusted."

"And how come Andy gets off Scot-free?!" Rhys objected.

"Because PC Davidson had no part in this childish shenanigan."

"The cuffs were his!" Banana boat insisted. "Surely that counts towards…"

"And who was it that took them from him?" Jack's voice was now enraged from the two Welshman arguing back. "If I didn't find Seto when I did, then there could be pictures of him printed all over the papers, ruining his reputation in the process …" His speech trailed off as he noticed the door open and turned to smile at his friend. "Morning Sleepyhead."

"What the hell happened?" Seto tried to demand in a firm voice which wavered under the powerful force thumping in his head. Snippets from during his drunken state whirled around like a blur leaving him with very little memory of what had happened. With one hand still pressing the publication against himself he raised the other to massage his aching temples.

"Unfortunately, I had to take off on an important work call and left you in the hands of these idiots." The captain began to explain. "When I returned to the bar only Andy was there, fast asleep and didn't have a clue where you three had gone. Next I found Rhys out in the street, and he swore that you were with him, but you weren't. I searched some more and stumbled across a group of rowdy Welsh apes mouthing off about how they had helped to fix some 'poor bastard' to the railings in the Hayes before taking off with his processions…"

"I don't like the sound of where this is heading." Seto grumbled with a sigh, knowing that he was the 'poor bastard' in question. "Where are my things? Tell me that you got them back Jack?"

"I managed to swipe back your cell phone from them, but everything else is gone. Sorry Seto."

"Great!" He muttered and then stared harshly at the bucktooth idiot who would be billed for the expenses lost in the form of his clothes, shoes, watch, wallet and its contents.

"Yeah, so…" Jack clicked his tongue and breathed deeply before continuing the recollection. "I rushed over to the Hayes, and there you were; unconscious, completely stark naked, handcuffed to the railings and Banana Boat passed out close by. Luckily I got there in time to spare your dignity before a crowd started to form, - which by the way, you owe me three quid for the copy of the magazine covering yourself up right now, - I cut you free, and brought you back here to safety, away from prying eyes."

For a moment Seto just regarded his friend who he'd been quick to wrongly assume had played the embarrassing prank on him. How could he have been so wrong? A weak curve of the lips expressed his gratitude to the older man for having watched over him. "Thanks Jack."

"Don't mention it."

"That's a nasty shiner you got there!" Rhys blurted out before silence even had a chance to take hold. His curiousness about the freshly displayed black eye drew his attention away from the scars covering the other man's upper torso. "How'd you get that?"

_Shiner?! _Seto searched through the scraps of the night which his memory had managed to retain. He then stood horrified as he remembered taunting the Welshman about his wife and so had struck him in return. "I er, don't know…"

Jack's voice cut across the CEO's. "You gave him it."

"Did I?!" The Welshman seemed shocked as he received the disapproving glare from the captain. He couldn't remember doing such a thing. "Why? He must have provoked me somehow, I don't go throwing my fists for no reason…"

"Well you did." Jack stated firmly. "Too much alcohol if you ask me."

Rhys blinked in disbelief and then turned to the man he had assaulted. "Sorry." He gave a nervous laugh. "I'm not usually like that."

Seto opened his mouth to say some kind of false reassurance but didn't get the chance as his head thundered. He winced and groaned from the discomfort it had caused whilst trying to ease the pain, - of all the good it would do, - by pressing his palm against his head.

"I've got something to see to that." Banana Boat offered as his hand reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a blister pack of pills. "Here, catch!"

The pills were thrown towards the naked man, and with instinct overriding everything else, Seto used both hands to catch them. It was only when he heard the magazine splash open on the floor that he'd realised his mistake. _Fuck!_

"Um, no offence mate." Rhys spoke daringly at the sight that met his raised brows. "But if I was hung like that, you wouldn't hear me complaining if photographs of my boys found their way into the papers."

Un-amused sapphire eyes stared coldly as the publication was retrieved and returned to conceal the exposed genitals currently on show. He sneered disgustingly at reading the aspirin wording on the blister pack and tossed it back to the Welshman. _First that bastard aggravates me all night at the bar, he's then responsible for having my possessions stolen during the stupid prank he tried to play, and now he attempts to kill me?!_

"I would be." Banana Boat continued talking to his best buddy about the nude image situation as he caught the pills that had been rejected. "I mean, I wouldn't mind the ladies taking a ganders, but what about all the queers wanking over them …"

"_Col!!"_ Rhys hissed threateningly at the remark which had been made by his friend.

"What?"

Jack silently appreciated the attempt that had been made by his friend's husband to reprove the other man, but he'd learnt to ignore such attitudes and comments a long time ago. They didn't faze him himself in the slightest bit in the era which didn't fully accept multiple forms of sexually. He knew it wasn't the worst times, nor was it the best, but it would be all that his Welsh lover would ever know, and he'd be damned if he was going to let closed minded people like that ridicule him for it. His Ianto would be protected from any kind of harm for as long as he was around to make sure of it, and he wasn't planning on leaving any time soon, or ever.

"Here you go." Knowing that his friend was allergic to aspirin, the captain handed over two tablets of ibuprofen along with a glass of water. "This'll help ease that hangover."

"Thanks." With one hand, Seto took the pills and popped them into his mouth before taking the liquid to wash them down.

"How come you favoured his over mine?!" Banana Boat exclaimed. "What, were mine not good enough for you? Too common for your snooty nosed standards? …"

"I think it's time that the pair of you were leaving." Jack suggested promptly so that it gave the naked CEO no time to snarl a reply. "After all, we've got a wedding to be getting ready for."

"Yeah." Rhys nodded in agreement with his wife's boss. He turned to his buddy beside him. "Come on, back to my place, time we donned our suits for the ceremony. "

"Pardon?" Seto sounded appalled at what he'd just heard. Had the two annoying idiotic Welshman just invited themselves to his wedding? "What makes you think …?"

"Well, I'm Gwen's plus one aren't I? And you can't expect Banana to tag along on the Stag-night and not attend the big event itself."

Speechless as he struggled but managed, just, - only just mind, - to hold back the hysterical laughter wanting to escape him, his head throbbed again and he groaned some more. "Whatever." He sighed, not in the mood and state of mind for arguing back right now to stop them from attending.

The two men swiftly walked across the luxury suite and exited the room, giving a cheery 'farewell, see you later' wave as they did so.

"What were they doing here?" Seto demanded from Jack as his raging head calmed down once again.

The captain shrugged. "Couldn't leave them unconscious out on the streets now could I?"

"I would."

"I know _you_ would." His eyes rolled mockingly. "Anyway, you already had this place paid for. Seemed a shame to pass up a five star hotel in favour of the hub. _Plus,_ I didn't think that you'd appreciate crawling out of my hole once you woke up."

"I know full well what you're talking about, but please Jack, will you think over things before you say them out loud!"

"'Kay, my bad. Good job nobody was here to overhear it eh?" A little chuckle.

Seto forced a smile in return before voicing out the concern that was niggling away at him. "I think we have a problem regarding me and Rhys last night. I kind of over-bragged about that incident between me and Gwen. Luckily he hasn't, - or at least he appears like he hasn't, - remembered, but if he does … well, I don't want to ruin things between them …"

"It's okay, he won't remember." Jack assured. "I put a dose of retcon in each of their drinks which I bought not long before being called away. That's why your drink that round was different from theirs, as I couldn't have you mistakenly pick up one of the pints for fear of you drinking the retcon. I had a feeling something regrettable might happen, and this way it keeps the hurtful truth away from those it would affect the most."

They shared a moment of awkward silence as neither of them was sure what to say.

The captain moved closer placing a hand into one of his many inner coat pockets and took out a small laser device which he used to cut the remnants of the handcuffs from his friend's wrists. He broke the stillness with his playful teasing. "I know the saying goes; _'If you've got it, flaunt it'_, but I really think it's time you put some clothes on."

"You mean, you're jealous?" Seto smirked back. He'd felt no need to hide himself from his friend's view since the two Welshmen had left.

A small sigh and wobble of the head back and forth humoured the younger man's jeer. "Just a little. Now hurry up. You're getting married in a few hours time."

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**AN: So the wedding from hell continues :P **

**Geez, I've missed writing Jack and Seto so much. (Stupid Writer's block and RTD adding a broken heart to my problems and delays)**

**Little anouncement regarding the bonus fic which follows this; it's going to be delayed for a further five weeks as I add yet another bonus fic in between them in the form of Seto's version of 'Children of Earth'. And the beauty of fanfiction means that I can (and sure as hell will) alter 'Day four' to make that story bend and fit with my final installment of my trilogy. (can I still call it that since it is going to end up having at least seven stories now?)**

**KG  
**


	11. Chapter 11

**As usual, big thanks to starwefter for leaving the review :)**

**Chapter Eleven**

Lying on the sofa, Ianto opened his eyes to find that the room he was in wasn't his own; however he did recognise his surroundings. He was in Gwen and Rhys' apartment. _Can it be?! _Swiftly his hands were raised into the Welshman's view that also scanned down the body he inhabited.

"Yes!" There was a gasp of joy and relief at finding himself back inside his own body, the Maroon Esprit's effecting having worn off during the slumber both parties had been in. Turning and craning his neck, he saw his colleague curled up asleep on the armchair adjacent to him. "Gwen?" He received no answer from her so proceeded to get up from where he lay. Big mistake.

The moment his feet were supporting his weight, Ianto felt dizzy and lost his balance only to end up kneeling on the floor. His head was clutched in both hands as though it would help to stop the spinning feeling. He knew instantly that Kisara must have taken use of the body switch to have the opportunity to drink alcohol the previous night. Hopefully she hadn't consumed enough to leave him with a hangover, which he could really do without, since he still had the best man's speech to prepare.

Gwen's eyes slowly flickered open at the sound of the groaning that met her ears. She looked down at the man kneeling on her living room floor. "Ianto, - I mean Kisara, - are you okay?"

"You were right with your first guess, and yes I think I'm going to be okay."

"Ianto!" She leapt from the armchair and embraced him tightly. "Thank god, I'm glad everything is back to normal."

"Me too. I'm sure that if I was to marry Seto it would traumatise me for life." He eased her from him so that he could breathe. "How much did Kisara have to drink last night?"

"Not much." She frowned at being pushed away. "Just a couple of drinking games with watered down knock-off spirits that Rhys bought from Banana and his dodgy dealings…"

A wailing sound erupted from the bedroom as Anathema opened the door. "Mommy Kara, Mommy Kara!" She walked down the hall hugging tightly at her bunny plush and froze in the living room doorway when she saw her uncle Seto's two friends. "Where's Mommy Kara!"

"She's not here right now." Gwen spoke softly as she got up to her feet and watched the little girl drop the toy, now rubbing the tears from her eyes with clenched little fists. "What's wrong Sweetie?"

"I had a bad dream."

"Do you want to tell me and your uncle Ianto all about it?"

"No!" Anathema shouted as the woman, who was still unfamiliar to her, stepped closer. "I want my Mommy Kara!" She turned and raced towards the bathroom.

Gwen followed but was too late to stop the four year old from locking the door. The sound of the little girl's sobs almost broke her heart and she tried to coax her into opening the door. "Come on Sweetie, don't be silly, open up."

"No, I want Mommy Kara." The crying became heavier.

Ianto had picked up the plush which had been discarded and now stood outside the bathroom as he also attempted to talk to his friend's niece. "You dropped your bunny rabbit. I think he's lonely without you. Why don't you open up and give him a big cwtch?"

The crying paused while a little voice asked. "What's a cutch?"

"A hug."

"I just want Mommy Kara." The crying started again. "She understands me."

"We will too if you just talk to us." Gwen assured. "I tell you what, you come out and we'll all go and find her, how does that sound?" Hopefully she'd be able to persuade Anathema into cooperating with them to be able to get to Kisara, who'd be waking, - if she hadn't already woken up, - in Ianto's flat. They'd need to get ready for the wedding there too anyway. "You don't want to ruin your mommy Kara and uncle Seto's big day now do you?"

There was no answer from behind the bathroom door, though the cries had become softer.

"We'll get you some sweets." Ianto added in his attempt to bribe her similar to the way he did his own nephew and niece each time he visited them, which wasn't that often, hence the bribe for their affection. He crouched down so that he'd been more level with her if, - when, - she came out. Also, his head didn't feel so bad the closer it was to the ground.

The crying stopped and a faint rattling could now be heard as the lock was slowly released.

Gwen's voice was a low whisper as she spoke down towards her friend. "Ianto move so that I can jab my foot in the door once …"

"Don't!" He whispered back. "You'll just scare her and she'll likely do the same thing again, only it'll take us even longer to get her out." A blank look was all he received. "I had a similar experience with Mica last year …" His words trailed off as a gap appeared between the door and its framework and a pair of bright blue eyes peered out at him.

"Where's Mr Hoppy?"

"Right here." Ianto smiled and jiggled the plush around so that it looked like it was waving back to its owner. "He really wants that cwtch."

Anathema smiled back and stepped out of the small room to reclaim her toy. She snuggled it close to her and then without warning, threw herself at the Welshman. Her move was so unexpected that it almost knocked him off the balance of his arched feet.

"Aww, look at you two." Gwen cooed in a silly voice.

The tone that had been used to voice his colleague's observation made Ianto feel even more uncomfortable than he was already feeling. There were only three people in his life that he ever felt comfortable enough to allow them to hug him and hug back in return. One of them was Jack, the other two his mother and sister. But the tiny little arms wrapped around him right now made his heart melt and added another name to his short list. It was almost like the kind of bond he longed for from his own nephew and niece which had never quite taken off during the rare occasions that he saw them.

After a clink of the lock, the front door of Gwen's home opened and in thundered two Welshmen in an unruly manner.

"I'm dying for a piss!" Banana Boat exclaimed to his friend before his view caught sight of the three people in the hall outside the bathroom door.

"Alright Lovely!" Rhys ignored the man behind him and greeted his wife. "How was your night?"

Frightened by the appearance of the two men, Anathema fled from the embrace she was in and locked herself back inside the small room. Neither Gwen nor Ianto was quick enough to stop her as their hands hit the closed door just a fraction of a second too late. "I want Mommy Kara!"

A heavy frustrated sigh escaped the woman's mouth as she shot her husband and his friend a heated look. "Thanks a lot!"

"What? What did I do now?"

With a hand gently massaging his eyes and temples, Ianto rose back onto his feet. The faint throbbing of his head still occurred and he bit back the bitter feeling towards his colleague's other half for having ruined the moment he'd had with the little girl and undoing the hard work of getting her to come out of the bathroom in the first place. "Come on Gwen, _they_ can take it from here."

"Okay, just give me a minute to grab my things." Gwen disappeared into her bedroom to retrieve her outfit and make-up which she'd need for the wedding. "I'll give Seto a call too, tell him that he'll have to come and get Anathema." She shouted as an afterthought.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Rhys held his arms up, palms facing his wife's work colleague as he approached the front door. "Where are you two off to?"

"Kisara needs us to help her get ready for her big day." Ianto began to explain. "We can't leave Anathema on her own and it's going to take at least twice as long to coax her out this time around. That's just time we don't have to spare right now so it looks like you two will playing babysitters until …"

"But I _need _to piss!" Banana Boat moaned cupping himself as the urge to pass urine was becoming too overwhelming for him to handle. "Like now!"

"Go use the sink." Rhys sent his friend off in the direction of the kitchen.

"Where's he going?" Gwen asked as she exited the room, hanging up on her call, a sports bag flung over her shoulder.

"Stuffing his face." Her husband smiled in his cover-up way.

"You better sterilise that sink, or I'll have your head Rhys Williams." She knew exactly what the other man was intending to do.

"Yes Love." He mumbled and should have known better than trying to deceive her.

"Goodbye then." Gwen leaned close and kissed him farewell. "Seto and Jack are on their way round, and I'll see you at the Millennium centre in a little while." She followed Ianto out of the door as they made their way over to his flat.

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Kisara's eyes slowly fluttered open as the sunlight coming through the tiny gap in the curtains' parting landed across her face. She was sat slumped forward with her chin on her folded arms that were resting on the tabletop. Directly in front of her was a sewing machine with waves of shimmering white material positioned underneath its needle.

Swivelling her head around, she realised that she must have been in Ianto's flat and that he had fallen asleep whilst working on her dress, which from the looks of it, had been coming along quite nicely. Her heart somersaulted with joy at being returned back to her own body again and a weak smile crossed her face. In just a few hours time she'd be getting married but how far from completion was her wedding gown?

Carefully she sat up straight, making sure not to knock the huge mug of dark stone-cold coffee on the table to her right, and examined the sewing machine. She found that the thread in the needle had become tightly tangled and knotted with the fabric and attempt to free it with a little tug.

Nothing.

She tugged a little harder and it gave a tiny bit but was still stuck. Surely one hard yank would be enough to drag it free? Kisara did just that and like she had assumed, the whole gown came away, albeit more easily than she had expected. With it clutched in both hands she staggered to the side and toppled the coffee mug which spilt its contents down onto the white folds.

All she could do was stare in silent horror at the mess at her feet. The gown which Ianto had worked so hard throughout the night to create now lay as a heap drenched in cold coffee. It was nothing short of ruined and all her fault. Tears began to form in her eyes as time seemed to have lost all of its meaning._ No!_

The intercom of the Welshman's flat began to buzz and brought Kisara out of her trance. She approached the electronic box located on the wall and pressed a button before speaking into the microphone that would relay her voice to those outside. "Hello? Who's there?"

"It's us." Ianto calmly stated.

Without a second thought she pressed the button which would allow her two husband's friends to enter the building and waiting for them to walk through the flat's front door. What was she meant to say to them about the dress?

The door opened and Ianto stepped in with Gwen right behind him. "And just how is the bride this morning?" He asked brightly only to see a tearful face staring back at him.

"I've done something stupid." She spoke in a shaky voice, still stunned by what she had done, and then lead them back into the room to show them what had happened to the dress.

Ianto's eyes widened from the sight he saw as the mound of white satin lay on the floor with coffee stains all over it. He'd stayed up all night to try and finish the dress and now …

"It was an accident; I didn't mean to ruin it!" Kisara blurted out in a sob as she saw the look appear on the Welshman's face. "All I was trying to do was free it from the sewing machine."

"Don't worry." He assured her in his usual composed manner. "These things happen…"

"Well, they wouldn't have happened if you hadn't had a mug of coffee close by!" She exclaimed as she hit him in an act of irritation from seeing her fiancé's friend remain so calm. "I told you, _no caffeine_!"

"Easy, easy does it now." Gwen soothed the silvery haired woman away from her colleague. She understood the frustration felt as so far everything seemed to be going wrong for this poor girl and her wedding day. But that still didn't give her the right to take it out on others, especially on the man who had bent over backwards to help her.

Ianto took the chance to swiftly leave the room.

"All I wanted was one day, - one perfect day, - is that too much to ask?" Kisara was close to tears as Gwen held her at arms length.

"Look on the bright side." The Welshwoman smirked as she attempted to light-hearten the situation. "It could be worse."

"I don't see how it could."

"At least you're not pregnant." That got a faint smile out of her as she began to retell her own real life wedding nightmare. "And there isn't some vicious alien being chasing you and trying to…"

"Here we go." Ianto re-entered the room holding a shimmering white gown on a hanger. "One wedding dress for the beautiful bride." He saw two gob-smacked faces looking at him like he'd just pulled a rabbit out of a hat and grinned. "Once I finished the main part of the dress, I kept it in my room. What you see on the floor is the train that I was attempting to make for it but didn't have enough time to complete."

Kisara raised both hands to cover her open mouth. Her eyes were prickling from the sight of the dress and she closed them, sending a stream of tears down her checks, sobbing all the while.

"That's not quite the reaction I'd expected." The deadpan tone seemed almost disappointed.

Gwen looked at the dress that had been knocked up without a pattern and in the short space of time. It wasn't a bad attempt but didn't look like anything that you'd find hanging on the rail of a bridal shop. How was she meant to compliment it without seeming insulting? "Very nice sweetheart, look's a bit like a helter-skelter in a snowstorm."

"Oh." Ianto sighed. That didn't sound good at all; no wonder Kisara was crying her eyes out at the monstrosity, - which he'd worked hard over, - presented before her.

A small high pitched squeak left the sobbing woman's mouth.

"Pardon?!" Both Ianto and Gwen exclaimed in unison. Had they just heard her correctly?

Wiping her eyes dry and with a huge smile on her face, Kisara took a deep breath to regain her composure before repeating what she had just said. "It's perfect!" Her voice was nothing short of pure sincerity for all the trouble the Welshman had gone to, to make the dress for her. "I wouldn't have dreamt or considered such a concept, but seeing this dress … It's just too beautiful for words. Thank you Ianto." She wrapped her arms around him.

"Don't mention it." He was dumbfounded by the praise he'd received and saw that Gwen was too. His cheeks were burning and he wriggled himself free from the embrace. "We had better start getting ready." A little nervous laugh to hide his uncomfortable feeling. "Don't want to be late for your big day after all."

"Of course." Kisara smiled back. How was she ever going to repay him for what he had done? Her stomach flipped and whirled violently. "Where's your bathroom?"

"In the hall, second left."

"Thank you." She raced off as fast as she could.

Ianto casually hung the hanger on the back of the room door before moving to clear up the messy heap on the floor. He caught Gwen smiling at him as she watched his every move. "What?"

"Isn't there anything you can't do?"

With a smug smile he replied, "I guess not."

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**A/N: A couple of things were cut from this chapter due to the fact that they didn't blend too well with the rest of it as it just seemed to ramble on into nowhere at all. The first thing being that I had Rhys ask why Kisara wasn't at the flat** **and the second had Banana Boat make more homophobic comments****. ****In short, they had no 'real' purpose to the story telling so had to go.**

**KG  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**Thankies starwefter ;)**

**Chapter Twelve **

The black re-enforced SUV thundered down the city streets in what seemed to be the only way that Jack knew how to drive. An early nineties' pop record by _They Might Be Giants_ blasted out of the vehicle's speakers, _"… Not to put too fine a point on it, Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet. Make a little birdhouse in your soul …" _The song stopped as an annoyed Seto turned the dial to cease the racket that enraged his headache even further.

"Oi, I was listening to that!" Jack exclaimed as he only just remembered to hit his indicator on before turning. If Ianto had been there, he'd have scolded him for not doing so sooner. In fact, it was only because of the Welshman that he had started indicating when he drove in the first place.

"My heart bleeds." Seto grumbled sarcastically in response to the weak protest from his friend. He sat in the passenger seat massaging his temples. "How much further is Gwen's place?"

"Not far to go now." The captain assured before the car became silent. He was pretty sure that the younger man was savouring the stillness whereas he longed for the sound of music once more. Speaking of which … "So, what did the pair of you decide on for your opening dance at the reception later."

"_We_ didn't decide." Seto sighed as he tugged at the cravat around his neck which the man sitting next to him had forced him to wear. He had originally just wanted to wear a tie, - bowtie at a push, - but Jack had argued that his wife-to-be saw him dressed like that day in day out and that he _needed _to look special for the occasion. "Kisara left it up to me to come up with the choice."

"A mistake she'll think twice before making again." The tease was chuckled. "What ever possessed that girl to trust you to come up with a song that portrays your feelings for her?"

Seto gave a scornful stare. "I'm capable of expressing myself in such a way, and I think that the song I've chosen won't disappoint her."

"And that song is?"

"A Million Love Songs by Take That."

"Nice." Jack agreed with the decision that had been made as he turned into the car park designated for Gwen's apartment block and carelessly parked the SUV across several parking spaces. "A good choice of a love song, with the added bonus of it being a slow tune."

"Yeah, that played a big factor in my decision." Seto smirked as he undid his seatbelt. "The less dancing I have to do, the better."

They got out of the vehicle, entered the building and rode the elevator up to the fifth floor where their destination was situated. Not a word had been spoken between them during the duration of the journey from stepping foot in the car park outside, to setting foot through the unlocked front door of the apartment.

There they found the two Welshmen, - who had since changed into their outfits, for the wedding, since parting from them earlier that morning, - sat on the floor outside what they guessed to be the bathroom door. Both of them held a fan of cards in their hands as they played a game of Go Fish.

"Got any twos?" Banana Boat asked and saw Rhys shake his head.

"Go Fish." Anathema's voice sounded from the other side of the door, and whilst the man who had just spoken pick up his card she took her turn and asked, "Have either of you got any sevens?"

"Yep, I've got one." Rhys slid the card underneath the locked bathroom door.

"Didn't you guys even attempt to get her out of there?" Jack chuckled as he and Seto came to a standstill, towering above the two cross-legged Welshmen.

"We tried, but she's too bloody stubborn!" Gwen's husband argued as he received a stare of disapproval from the CEO. "Takes after her father if you ask me."

"That's a bit farfetched since you didn't know him." Seto pushed his way by the two seated men, - a baffled Rhys glancing up at Jack who mouthed _'he's her uncle'_ as the explanation for his friend's irritant snappy remark, - he reached the bathroom door and hammered on it. "Anathema! Enough of this nonsense, open up!"

A moment later there was a faint rattling as the lock was removed and the door slowly opened up. Two small blue eyes stared up from the gap that had been created. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay Kiddo." Seto assured as he looked down at the little girl. As much as he was annoyed with the fact that it had been left down to him to race over to the apartment and coax her out of the barricaded room, he wasn't at all mad. She had done as he'd asked of her, not to mention those wide puppy dog eyes that all children seemed to be capable of mastering, they alone were always sure to dispel any angered feelings he might have had. "Your auntie Gwen told me that you'd had a bad dream." He crouched down to be level with her and ease the intimidation factor. "Kisara isn't here right now, but you can talk to me about it if you want to."

Mr Hoppy was hugged tighter by his owner as Anathema considered the offer that had been made to her. Although she adored her uncle, he didn't spend as much time with her as she like. Her Mommy Kara said he had to do something called _'work'_ which is what snatched him away from the fun and games they would have whenever they did spend time together. They never 'talked', just played, so maybe now was the right time to open up to him? Would that make him closer to her?

"I miss my Daddy." The little girl whimpered with teary eyes.

"I miss him too." Seto spoke gently. No matter how much he tried to kid himself, there would always be a part of him that had held a certain fondness for Noah. Even before the timeline and memory alterations, the spoilt brat who had tried to snatch away everything he had worked hard for had somehow managed to pull a heartstring as he could relate to the scared and desperate measures taken to try and better his step-brother's cyber life.

"I want my Daddy." She broke down into a wave of sobs.

"I know Kiddo, but he's gone now." Seto reached a hand out to dry her tears but Anathema beat him to it, making him choose to alter his course and tenderly rested his hand on her shoulder. Usually it was Kisara who comforted his niece after the reoccurring nightmare of the Dalek's invasion, so what was he meant to do next? Should he talk her through the events of that night and how her father had bravely sacrificed his chance of survival so that she could live? She was still only a young child so would she even understand the important of such an act? Would it only upset her even more if he did raise the subject so directly?

The long silent pause from her uncle made Anathema even more agitated as she stood there waiting for a response, but it didn't come. Instead he just continued to look at her with a perplexed wrinkle in his brow. Nervously she re-phrased her words and tried again to get her request across to him, "I want _you _to be my Daddy."

It was like the room had frozen in time as Seto was dragged from his dilemmatic thoughts and stared in stunned amazement at what he had heard. Even though he had been taking care of her since that awful night he hadn't, - nor did he ever, - expect his niece to ever refer to him as anything other then her uncle. The fact that she had asked him, of her own accord, to take on the parental role made him tingle with pride. He smiled as he held his arms wide open to the little girl. "Come here."

Tearfully, but happily she stepped forward into the embrace of the man she knew would love her in the way that she wanted. "Thank you." She sobbed softly into her plushie to avoid getting his outfit wet, knowing that he wouldn't appreciate the damp patches she'd otherwise cause.

Jack stood, along with the two Welshmen and watched the touching scene. A smile was present on his face albeit forced to mask the feelings that tore away at him inside. He'd give anything to have such a close bond to Alice and Steven, even though he knew she would never allow it. And he didn't blame her for choosing to keep him at a distance from them.

"I don't get it!" Banana Boat blurted out with a confused look. "Is he her father, daddy, dad, tad, - whatever, - or not?"

Seto rose to his feet from where he was crouched down. He kept a hold on Anathema as he did so and instead of being scornful towards the bucktoothed man he just smiled. Nothing could ruin his joyous moment. "I may not be her father, but I am most definitely her daddy."

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"Why couldn't we have just taken the lift?" Banana Boat moaned as he finished climbing the second flight of stairs inside the Wales Millennium Centre.

"Quit your moaning Col, it's done now." Rhys retorted with a pant. He couldn't help wondering the same thing.

"It's called exercise, boys." Jack grinned stupidly at the two Welshman. "Stops you from becoming flabby and overweight." The three of them followed on behind Seto, who was carrying Anathema, - now wearing her dress that had been purchased back in Paris, - and being led by one of the venue's attendants. "And besides, it was only two flights, hardly as torturous as climbing the steps of Niesen."

The young Welsh attendant swung his arm across the open space of the foyer where the Registrar was stood waiting at the far end. "Here's where your ceremony will take place very shortly."

_Is this it?_ Seto's nose was wrinkled with a faint feeling of disgust. He'd paid handsomely to have his wedding here and had been expecting more than just an open foyer. At least now he was glad that he hadn't gone all out and paid for them to host the reception afterwards. What was the point in paying for a minimum of fifty guests when he was only expecting a handful at most?

With a heavy sigh he glanced out of one of the huge windows that made up the wording on the crown of the magnificent building. He couldn't help but feel a bit like a failure and a letdown to his wife-to-be. Surely she deserved the best, most extravagant day of her life, and not something that was worked around their, - no not theirs, but his, - life and work schedule? And things hadn't exactly gone like they had planned either……

The body switch, which Gwen had confirmed Jack's assurances that Ianto and Kisara had returned back to normal during her phone call to him earlier that morning. Half of the people who mattered most to them unable to make wedding in time due to flight delays and other unfortunate mishaps. His horrific stag-night that had left him with a throbbing headache and been forced into wearing concealer makeup to hide the black eye he had also received, and hoped that his fiancée had faired better luck with the time they had spent apart. And to top it off here they where, in Cardiff not Domino, with a grey spring/summer sky threatening to break into a downpour at any moment and ruin their chances for photographs outside in the open.

Seto glanced out pass the water tower and across Roald Dahl Plass, watching the steady trickle of tourists and locals flow by, completely oblivious to the underground base directly under their feet. Keeping Torchwood a secret from the ones he loved had been more of a task than the thought. Was it always going to be this difficult and demanding on the normal life he intended to live once he had started his own branch of the institute? …

"Are we good to go?" Gwen's cheery voice broke though his thoughts as she appeared on the scene with a shallow box of flowers.

Anathema was carefully placed on the floor before the CEO went to check his watch. Which wasn't there since it had been stolen the previous night. He looked across to Jack who was doing the same by checking his own watch for the time. "Yep, it's just about time I reckon."

"Well here you are then; get your button-holes in place." Gwen starting handing out the decorative white roses and the men placed in their suits' lapels. "And here's your headdress sweetie." She positioned a ring of flowers, - that matched the bride's bouquet, - on top of the little girl's head.

"Where's Ianto?" Seto asked curiously in regards to the whereabouts of his best man.

"Downstairs with Kisara."

"Guess it's time that I went and collected the bride." Jack stated with a nervous laugh and swinging his arms by his sides. Knowing that as bridesmaid, Anathema should be arriving with them both, he told her, "Come on Pooky, let's go."

"But I wanna stay with Daddy!" She wrapped her arms around his legs and refused to let go.

"Daddy?" Gwen asked Seto with mock raised eyebrows.

"Problem with that?" He shot back mimicking the look.

"Not at all." She smiled. After having once heard his bitterness over the future he had one time thought would never happen, she was glad that things were working out for him. Even so, she still couldn't quite quash that ember which remained and flared whenever she thought about possible 'what if' scenarios that could have happened between them.

"Excuse me, but we should really be getting this wedding underway." The Registrar insisted as she approached them, keen on starting already.

"Of course." The groom nodded in agreement and then turned to Jack. "It's okay, leave Anathema here with me, just send Ianto up a little ahead of you before arriving back here with Kisara."

"Yes boss." The captain chuckled with a salute and then left to descend back down the way which they had come.

Seto crouched down to converse with the little girl. "I'm going to need you to sit with your auntie Gwen until this is over. Can you do that for me Kiddo?"

She nodded with a smile.

"Good girl." He led her closer to where the Registrar had taken place for conducting the ceremony before handing her over to his female friend.

Gwen and Rhys seated themselves down with Anathema between them. The Welshman offered the little girl a sweet from a paper bag and then kissed his wife.

"Where do I sit?" Banana Boat asked sincerely.

The CEO resisted the urge to glare at the man who he hadn't wanted to attend his wedding in the first place, and his lips curved up. He had a plan that would keep them both happy. "Actually Colin …"

"Banana." He insisted.

_Whatever! _Seto bit his tongue and kept on grinning as he led him back to the opposite end of the foyer. "I've got a very special and important task for you to do."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." They came to a standstill around the corner from the foyer where the corridor narrowed before the staircases. "Once Ianto, Jack and Kisara have passed by you, I don't want anyone else coming this way. You hear me? You make sure people aren't allowed beyond this point."

"Got 'cha." The Welshman smiled, seemingly over-pleased with his role and was left there on his own as Seto returned to take his place in front of the Registrar.

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**A/N: Seto and Anathema - Aww ^_^  
**

** Niesen is a mountain in Switzerland and is home to the world's biggest staircase with a whopping 11,674 steps!**

**KG**


	13. Chapter 13

**As usual, thanks starwefter ;)**

**Chapter Thirteen**

The sound of the piano, situated on the ground level at the far right of the enormous greeting lobby of the Wales Millennium Centre, carried softly throughout the building. Scattered across the vast area were handfuls of people. Many of them were tourists drawn inside the wondrous building to admire its architecture. Others were simply there to enquire, book or collect tickets for the venue's performances. A fair number of customers were also in the gift shop and the several café/restaurants that also inhabited the structure.

On his way down the stairs, Jack had spotted Ianto and Kisara on the seating around the staged piano. He now came bounding over to them and took a moment to pay closer attention to the bride as he stopped in front of her and smiled. "You're looking beautiful today." Leaning forward, he kissed her softly on the cheek.

The Welshman cleared his throat.

"I haven't forgotten about you." The captain chuckled as he pulled back from the bride and then clasped his lover on the shoulder. "You look great too."

Ianto forced a smile. It was the kind of smile that said 'thanks' and at the same time masked the hurt feeling inside for not having received a more affectionate gesture, like a hug or a kiss, which he felt that he could really do with after what he had been through during the last twenty-four hours. But of course this was Jack who never displayed any kind of romantic involvement with him out in public, leaving Ianto to feel confused about just where they were in their relationship.

Jack looked over the expensive suit worn by the younger man whilst lost in silent thoughts as he pondered a speedy, - yet efficient, - way to strip it from him later that evening. He quickly shook off his contemplation and snapped back to the here and now. "I've got something else for you Yantie. If you'd care to follow me this way?"

Outside the heavens had recently opened and great big saturating droplets plummeted from the sky. They could be heard hitting against the building in thunderous waves as the pianist paused between his pieces of music.

"What is it?" The Welshman whispered inquisitively as he followed the older man to the side of the lobby, hopeful that he was actually going to be receiving the gestures of affection after all. Why else would he be led away to be secluded from passers by?

As Jack was about to speak he held off for a moment longer so as not to have his words drowned out by a group of three friends who had scurried for cover from the rain by entering the building...

"Urgh, I hate this country and its lousy weather!" The fair haired man complained wiping water from his drenched forehead. His two friends simply laughed and insisted he'd feel better after a hot drink.

Now that the group had headed off towards the direction of the café, the smartly dressed captain proceeded with his plan of action and took an envelope out of his inside pocket. "Here, present for you."

Ianto took the thin paper packet handed to him and peeked inside. _Good god! _His eyes widened in surprise and eyebrows were ultimately raised in a questioning manner towards his lover.

"I know you'll make good use of it." A Cheshire cat grin shone back at him. "Now go! We should get this wedding started already."

Another clasp on Ianto's shoulder and he found himself steered closer to the huge staircase. He really should have known better than to get his hopes up with the expectation of Jack showing any adoration between them out in public. Maybe they weren't as close as he'd assumed after all?

Jack watched Ianto take the steps one at a time, all the while wishing that he could just pull him close and kiss him. The last thing he wanted to do was embarrass his lover in front of complete strangers, but knew that one day the time would come for him to do so.

With a small sigh he turned around and made his way back to Kisara. "Are you ready for me to escort you to your soon-to-be husband?"

"I just need to use the bathroom first." She replied shyly and handed her bouquet to the captain before making a swift departure.

"Okay, but don't be long!" Jack shouted after her.

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Ianto fiddled with his tie one last time as he came to a standstill beside the groom. He was about to ask for the rings he'd need to present when the time came, but became distracted by the glazed look in his friend's eyes. "Seto?"

No answer.

"Hey." The Welshman nudged him with his elbow.

Seto blinked with a bewildered look. "Sorry, I …" He paused and returned to being distant.

"Nervous?" Ianto ventured.

"I think petrified would be a better choice of word."

"But you're about to marry the woman you love. Why would you be scared of such a thing? Unless …?" He became uncertain with his words. The impression he'd received in the emails from his friend indicated just how much he adored the woman in question, yet Ianto still found himself asking, "You do love her, right?"

"Of course I do, there's no doubt there, it's just…" Thoughts of their possible future together bombarded Seto once more. Most were joyful occasions, - times spent together, starting a family, growing old, - but there was also a fair share of not-so-joyous scenarios in there too. He cleared them from his mind and spoke to his friend in a lowered voice. "You've seen how _'work'_ has affected our plans for just this one day today. Kisara's suffered enough already, who knows what else could be waiting ahead with other _'work'-_related issues? It's gotten to the point were I can't envision my life without her…"

"Okay, just stop right there!" Ianto interrupted, his voice also low. He was now aware that his friend was worried about how Torchwood would affect the couple's life together. "First of all, life never goes one-hundred percent according to plan. If bad things are destined to happen, they will happen, there's no stopping them. Plus would you seriously want to know about all of your life's ups and downs before they even occurred?"

The CEO shook his head without any hesitation.

"Didn't think so. And secondly, it's up to you whether or not you inform Kisara of your _'work' _issues." The Welshman could sympathise with wanting to keep Torchwood secret from loved ones as he too still hadn't told his mam, Rhiannon and her family about what he did for a living. As far they were concerned, he was nothing more than a civil servant, pushing papers all hours of the day whilst working for next to nothing. That was the way he liked it to make sure they were kept safe from any dangers that Torchwood may throw his way. "Jack has already said it's okay for you to confide in her, and if a time ever comes were you may feel like calling it a day before it…" He held back from adding 'kills you', knowing that Seto was already aware of the short life expectancy of a Torchwood member, though there were a handful of exceptions in the past. Another one of those forced cover-up smiles. "Well, I don't think he'd be disappointed with you either."

Seto secluded himself back in his indecisive thoughts. He didn't want to lie to the woman he loved, but also knew that he couldn't tell her everything about his life. To him marriages were built on more than just love, so could he blindly overlook the honesty and trust that he believed in?

The Registrar impatiently checked her watch for the current time and gave a small sigh. "I hope we're ready to start soon. I've got another wedding to do across town straight after this one."

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For the last ten minutes Jack had stood waiting, listening to the mix of music and heavy rainfall. He recognised the piece being played as a work by the composer Muzio Clementi and was impressed by the young pianist's ability to perform it flawlessly. The sound of the classical music brought back fond yet painful memories of his beloved Gwyneth. She had loved the Italian composer's work and even though she'd been dead for over a century, he'd never forget her, or any other of his lovers who he'd devote his life, - for the duration of their life, - to in return. They always left a dent in his already old, worn, battered, and eternally beating heart.

"Oi! Are you two ready yet?" Banana Boat shouted down from the balcony above and broke through the captain's heart-rending memories. "Haven't got all day you know!"

"Yeah." Jack shouted back up to the bucktoothed face staring at him. "On our way up any moment now." He watched the Welshman disappear from view to relay the message and wondered how much longer the bride was going to be as he consulted his watch. _Kisara's been in those toilets for a while now. If she doesn't come out soon then there may not be anyone here to perform the ceremony! _There was only one thing for it now if the wedding was to continue, and that was to drag the bride from her current location.

One problem though. Being male and in a public place, he wouldn't be able to enter the ladies restroom without drawing attention to himself and, - no doubt, - causing some kind of trouble in the process. He needed help and after a quick glance around, found the perfect aide for the task as his eyes landed on the woman from the group who he had seen enter from out of the rain a short while earlier.

"Excuse me!" Jack called out as he jogged over to the table in the café court area where the three friends sat. The brunette looked at him with those azure eyes that had drawn him to her. _Always a sucker for the blue eyes! _ "Hi, I'm Captain Jack Harkness and I was wondering if you could do me a favour. You see, my friend is about to be married and should be half way through the ceremony by now, but his bride is taking an awfully long time to visit the bathroom. Since I can't go in there myself, would you mind checking on her for me please?" A flirtatious smile ended his request to increase his chances of gaining her cooperation.

The woman looked to her two male friends to see what they'd do in the same situation and saw the blonde sat opposite her shake his head vigorously. Wanting a second opinion, she turned to the dark haired man next to her who gave a cool shrug as he told her, "It's your call, do what you think would be the right thing to do."

"Great." The woman grumbled in reply. Even though his words had sounded like she would be making the decision herself, he might as well have just answered _'yes; help the dashingly handsome man with his request'_. Well, maybe not the 'dashingly handsome' part, - she'd decided that on her own, - but she knew what she 'should do' and 'wanted to do' were two completely different things. _Who knows, maybe he's changed? Just go talk to the girl! _She pushed herself up and headed in the direction of the ladies' lavatories.

"Thank you!" Jack shouted his gratitude as he watched her move away from them. He turned back to the two seated men. "She's a star that friend of yours."

"Don't we know it?" Snorted the fair-haired man in a rather cynical manner.

_Oh-kay?_ The captain was at a loss for what could have caused the bitterness in the man's disapproving voice and turned his attention towards the other guy who seemed familiar somehow.

His hair was short, not quite in spikes but definitely pointing upwards and black that shone with a burgundy gleam whenever the light caught it at the right angle. A fringe of unnaturally dyed blondness crowned his forehead and half framed the deep unusual amethyst eyes staring right at him.

Jack began to feel peculiar from the purple gaze and his mind suddenly threw up a shower of splinters compiled of sights, sounds and sensations that he hadn't been aware of …

_# … The area surrounding him seemed like nothing but sandy wasteland, more sand than he'd ever seen in his life! Where was he? More importantly, when was he?_

"_Pharaoh!" A voice echoed around him but could not be seen._

_Several pyramid-like structured buildings, - no, they were actual pyramids, - flashed before his eyes and then became a tomb crypt, overflowing with mountains of jewels and gold that surrounded the sarcophagus._

_An evil maniacal laugher now sent a chill down his spine as the crypt and its fortune dissolved into a throne room. A pair of eyes, same as those belonging to the man with tri-coloured hair now glance down at him. They became blocked from his view by a strange golden rod that looked a bit like a double sided axe and held by … Was that Seto?_

_The room became hazy again and now Jack found himself in some kind of dungeon. Around his wrists a pair of cold heavy shackles bound them tightly together. He was almost naked and although he couldn't see behind him, he could feel the body heat of other person whose hot, sweaty flesh, pulsating with burning, lustful passion made them both gasp with pleasure as their skins touched._

_He was wrong, it wasn't lust. It was something else. Something more; something meaningful..._

_The body heat between them drained away and he was left in cold and utter blinding darkness. In his past he had longed for the eternal darkness of death on many occasions and had even welcomed it with open arms, but this … It was wrong, it scared him, even more so when a pair of giant glowing red eyes opened in the darkness above and the voices of thousands of lives, - were they all human? - cried out for help._

_Including his… #_

It felt like he had been screaming for ages but in fact Jack had only given a short terrifying gasp as a result of his vision. He breathed heavily and greedily gulped back the lungfuls of air he inhaled.

"Hey, Jack … It was Jack, wasn't it?" The blonde had noted the strange spaced-out behaviour from the stranger and showed signs of concern on his pretty boyish face. "I think you better sit down. Here have some water."

"Thanks." The captain gasped as he took hold of the glass handed to him and sipped a mouthful or two. He continued to stare at those amethyst eyes that had triggered his reaction and couldn't help asking, "Have we met before?"

Each word that came for the reply was uneasily spoken. "Not that I'm aware of."

"You sure?" Jack was sceptical even though he couldn't remember, or make sense of the things he'd just experienced. "I'm pretty certain we have." He gave a laugh at his own preposterous claim.

"I blame Moneybags." The blonde sneered. "I bet he told you all about…"

"Leave it Joey!" The other man hissed a warning to his friend. "We're not here to bring up the past with Kaiba, we're here for Tea. Remember?"

"All I'm trying to say Yuuge, is that he probably mentioned you to this guy, - probably told a whole heap of one-sided stories about our teenage years, - and that's why you seem familiar to him now."

"Wait a minute!" Jack held his hands up, palms facing them, signalling for the two men to cease their chatter. "You know Seto from his youth?"

A smile crossed Yugi's still-youthful features and he could just imagine the outraged look on the CEO's face if he had been present right now. "It would be stretching it a little to say 'yes', but I guess you could say that."

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"Hello?!" Tea entered the multi-cubical restroom to search for the bride. "Kisara? Are you in here?"

For a moment she suspected that the woman she was searching for had gotten cold feet and ran, but a tiny voice eventually asked, "Who wants to know?"

"My name's Tea. Jack asked me to come in here to find you. He's concerned about how long you've been in here, especially since your wedding ceremony should have started by now…"

"Should it?" The bride sounded truly surprised to hear this and there was a pause before she gave a hushed curse. "I lost track of time, I'm sorry." Soft bumps and thumps were heard as she prepared herself to exit the booth.

"I reckon he'll just be glad to know that you didn't change you're mind about the whole thing." She assured with a faint hint of a laugh and then added. "Or have you?"

"I wanted to marry Seto when he asked me all those months ago, so why wouldn't I want to marry him now that the time has finally come?" The sound of flushing water followed her words.

"Well you know what men are like." Tea argued as the cubicle door opened and she was met with the sight of the beautiful young silvery haired woman wearing the most amazing wedding dress she'd ever seen. _I bet that cost a fortune! It's alright for some._ "Just when you think that you have gotten to known them, they go ahead and surprise you by revealing a whole other them who they had laid dormant the entire time. And most of the time it's not a good revelation either."

"Oh, Seto's not like that." Kisara smiled sweetly at the woman who she recognised from the ballet posters. "He tells me everything, I know him just about as well as he knows himself." She approached the sink basins and washed her hands whilst rethinking what she had just said. As much as she did know about her future husband she knew that it was impossible for two people, - no matter how close they may be, - to know one-hundred percent about the other.

"Really? That doesn't sound like the Kaiba I know…"

"You know Seto?" The startled look on the bride's face was reflected in the mirror hanging above the hand-wash area. _First Gwen and now this girl?!_

"Not that well really." Tea admitted awkwardly as she glanced at the face in the mirror. "We used to go to high school together. He wasn't much of a talker back then, didn't like to mingle, preferred to do things on his own, and was a total jerk with his attitude towards others, especially when it came to me and my friends…"

"People change; he's not like that now." The bride pointed out.

"Whatever." She couldn't help herself sneer in response and instantly regretted it when she saw the offended look in the other woman's eyes. Why was she being so cynical? Did she really despise and hold a grudge against Kaiba so much that she would sabotage his wedding day by trying to talk the woman out of marrying him? Or did she just not want this woman to be let down and disappointed like she was when she found out that the world wasn't a nice and happy a place where dreams came true like she had once thought during her youth? "I didn't mean to sound so bitter. I guess you're right, people change. I would never have responded like that just then back when I was a teenager. I'm sorry."

Their eyes meet through the use of the huge mirror and Kisara accepted the apology with a forgiving smile.

Now running the cold water, the bride rinsed her mouth out several times. "Yuk! I hate the lingering after taste of vomit."

"I've heard wedding day nerves can be bad enough to make you throw up." Tea chuckled as she searched her purse for the pack of gum she had and offered one to Kisara.

"Not quite." Kisara smirked in return as she placed the mint flavoured gum into her mouth. "It's more of a case of 'I haven't been feeling like myself just recently'."

The brunette saw a smile that told her the other woman had meant the comment as some kind of joke that she wasn't aware of. She tilted her head to a side whilst she examined the pale looking face staring back at her and dived back into her purse. "I think that you may want to apply some more lipstick before going back out there so here, use mine."

"Thanks." Kisara took the offered make-up and made sure not to let her nose curl in disgust that the lipstick was a shade of peach and not pink which she favoured.

"Oh and one more thing…" Tea vanquished the silence that fell between them whilst the touch ups were being carried out. "The theatre production group that I'm touring with are performing our final show of Swan Lake here tonight. So if you'd like to come and watch then I'll make sure that there's a pair of VIP tickets kept aside for Mr and Mrs Kaiba." She saw an excited spark flare in the bride's eyes. "Call it a wedding present, peace offering, new start? Whatever you want, the tickets are yours as a gift from me and my two friends out there."

"We'll be there." Kisara smiled as she handed the lipstick back. She'd get to see the ballet preformed live after all. "Now I hope you don't take this as being rude, but I …"

"Have to go?"

Both women giggled as the bride nodded her head. "Yes, can't keep him waiting forever now can I?"

They left the restroom together and rejoined with the three men in the café court area.

"Whoa, Mokuba wasn't joking when he said that his future sister-in-law was a looker!" Joey exclaimed as Kisara now took her bouquet back from Jack, and her cheeks flushed.

"It was nice chatting with you gentleman." The captain shook both their hands and turned to thank Tea bowing his head to display his gratitude. "So sorry that we didn't have the chance to become better acquainted…"

"Would you like my cell phone number?" The brunette was already eagerly reaching into her purse.

"Er…" Jack wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation. He'd never given out any kind of rejection, unless it was purely out of spite. "I'm already seeing someone, and not just _someone, _but _the _one."

"Oh." She felt rather foolish to have thought that such a handsome looking man would be single and laughed nervously. "Tell her she's one lucky girl…"

"Guy."

Tea slumped down beside Yugi and rediscovered her hot, - now lukewarm, - cappuccino. She wanted to cry at the fact that she couldn't snag a man of her own for one reason or another.

"You three would be welcomed to attend the wedding too." Kisara piped up in the hope that it might cheer up the disheartened woman she'd recently befriended.

"That's very kind of you, but I think it would be best if we didn't go." It was Yugi who declined the invitation. "I highly doubt that Kaiba would want us attending his special day."

Jack gently eased Kisara away to escort her up the stairs to ascend to the levels above. "Come on; don't want to miss your own wedding now." He could see how much she had wanted them to accept the invite and knew that there was no time to persuade them otherwise. How could he put a smile back on her face? He had an idea. "Let's cheat and use the lift. We don't want to ruin that fabulous designer dress of yours do we?"

"It's not designer, Ianto made it."

"Ianto?! When?"

"Last night after … Oh, forget it; it's too long a story to tell right now."

They approached the elevator and entered into the carriage to be lifted up the shaft. The captain tapped away at the control panel and they began to slowly ascend.

A moment later they came to a stop and Jack attempted to open the doors. "Uh-oh!"

"What?!" A trace of panic entered into Kisara's voice.

"The doors, they're stuck tight!" The man's fingers slipped along the joining where they failed to wedge the steal doors apart. "Looks like you'll have time to tell me about last night after all."

"No!! This can't be happening! This wedding day is a complete disaster! Things are going wrong one thing after the other! …"

A chuckle was failed to be concealed by the captain. "Relax Kisara, I'm pulling your leg. We're not really stuck, see?" The doors whooshed open with the press of a button.

"Not funny!" She laughed even though she tried not to, and hit Jack hard for the prank he had pulled as they stepped out together. A grin was plastered on his face for having successfully made her smile.

"That's not fair!" Banana Boat complained as the man and woman approached him. "How come we had to use the stairs and she gets to use the lift?"

"If you had been wearing a dress that would have made it difficult to climb the stairs, then you would have had the same treatment."

"No ta." The Welshman cringed at the thought. "Anyway, stop jabbering and get your arses round that corner. Quickly, now before the Register gives us another lecture about how hard it is driving through Cardiff traffic on a Saturday."

The two of them left the 'specially selected guard' to do his job and flounced down to the corner where the bride remained conceal whilst her escort gave the thumbs-up to the groom and best man that things were okay to proceed.

"Well, this is it." Ianto stated cheerfully to Seto who inhaled the deepest breath he had ever taken in his whole life. He then turned to Rhys who was in charge of the last minute music arrangements, - something that had been completely missed by all during their planning, - and signalled for him to start the tune.

Jack cocked out his arm ready for Kisara to take hold. "Would madam care to be escorted to the man of her dreams?" She linked limbs with him and he gave a little chuckle. "Right, that's that done."

"Sorry Jack, but Seto's the only man for me." Kisara smirked as they slowly began to pace in time to the wedding march emitting from Rhys' cell phone.

The bride looked around her and her heart sank more than slightly. This was far from anything that she had imagined for her joyous occasion, but as her eyes landed on the man waiting for her down at the end of the aisle, everything else didn't seem to faze her. She was there, and he was there, that was what really mattered. When she noticed the blue silken cravat around her groom's neck she couldn't help but widen her smile just a little more for him having not worn a plain old tie or bowtie like he had joked about.

Seto was mesmerised as he watched the woman he loved walking nearer and nearer towards him. He hated to admit it, but the designer that Kisara had chosen to make the twenty grand plus commissioned gown, had done a good job. It clung to her in all the right places and the waves of 'excess' material wasn't overdone on her flared and twisting skirt. It vanquished all his qualms of not being able to get anywhere near her without fear of treading on, damaging and ruining something she'd undoubtedly cherish until the end of time. Her flowers were nice too and didn't look as costly as he'd expected them to be. As she drew level with him, he even saw the peach coloured lipstick she wore and felt that it suited her a lot better than her usual spectrum of pinks.

After a quick peck-on-the-cheek parting kiss, Jack left Kisara to stand alone next to Seto on his left, whilst Ianto remained on his right. He also couldn't resist the sneaky grope of his lover's behind before making his way to sit down next to Gwen.

The Registrar signalled for the music to stop and Rhys happily conformed to make it so. "Good Afternoon. We are gathered here today, not to witness the beginning of what will be, but rather what already is. We do not create this marriage, because we cannot. We can and do, however, celebrate with Seto and Kisara, the wondrous and joyful occurrence that has already taken place in their lives. So let the ceremony begin…"

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**A/N: Extra long this chapter to make up for the delay in updating this week. (I should really try and get myself sorted and back into the swing by not letting other things distract me)**

**Hands up, who saw Yugi, Joey and Tea making their way into the story? (well done to starwefter for spotting the ballet and Tea link all those chapters ago)**

**Jack's vision is a sneak peak of something that is going to happen in 'The Face of Things Yet to Come'. Doesn't reveal much I know :P  
**

**KG**


	14. Chapter 14

**Thankies starwefter :) **

**Chapter Fourteen**

The rain had eased off and had stopped for the moment. How long the dry spell would last was anyone's guess. After all this was typical Welsh weather and with a rift thrown in on top then anything was possible.

Water sprayed from the taxicab's tires as it slowed next to the curb, the driver timing it just right so that another pound clocked on his metre before he stopped his engine which also added another one pound fifty to his customer's total fare. "That'll be thirty-eight quid mate!"

Mokuba opened his wallet, took out one of the few British currency banknotes that he had and handed it to the driver. "Keep the change."

Normally the pinkish-red fifty pound note wouldn't have been accepted on the count that they were quite fairly uncommon to come by and not accepted in very many shops where he'd be likely to spend his earnings. But with a twelve pound tip to be made on top of the already ridiculous fare, the taxi driver wasn't going to cause a fuss on this occasion.

The rear door of the vehicle was opened and Rebecca the first to step out. From back inside the cab, Naoko handed her the first of the twins before stepping out herself, and then took the other twin from Mokuba's outstretched arms. He closed the door behind him once he was out too and took back the son he had held just a moment earlier. The taxicab then sped off in search of its next customer.

"Looks like we missed them taking the photographs too." The father of two sighed sadly. He'd tried calling his brother's cell phone to locate him only to be told by an automated message that it was switched off. After they'd changed outfits at the airport and had their luggage sent on to the hotel, he was determined to catch up with the happy couple even though they'd missed the ceremony.

"They may be inside." His wife offered in an attempt to lift his spirits. "Just look at it out here." She waved a free arm to indicate the sodden area whilst her other arm kept her son held tightly to her body.

"Yes, it's _been_ raining." Naoko sneered at the other woman. "But it's not raining now, is it? They could have had their pictures taken and moved on already. We're not forced to find them inside that place."

Rebecca shot their travelling companion a heated glare for her words. It was a glare that her brother-in-law would have highly approved and been proud of. _Damn that woman and her lack of optimism! _Her features relaxed as she turned back to her husband who was lost in disappointing thoughts of having missed his brother's wedding. "It still couldn't hurt to try." She told him, wishing there was something she could do to ease his pain.

But Mokuba wasn't so sure. If only he hadn't been so foolish back at the airport, then they would have arrived in due time. If only they'd taken a flight the week before and made a vacation trip like his brother had suggested, instead of him staying on to attend his company's conferences which he could have quite easily postponed. If only …

"Twry."

His depressing thoughts were broken by the boy he held, and he was dragged out of the land of 'If only' were the self-pitying spent most of their time. The attempted repeat of his wife's words in his young son's baby-babble voice made him smile. "Okay Noah, we'll try. Let's go find your uncle Seto and auntie Kisara."

"That's Arthur." Rebecca giggled as she corrected her husband as to which of their children he held. They both began to make their way over to the Wales Millennium Centre with the accompanying woman in tow behind them.

"Yeah, I know; I was just testing." Mokuba replied sheepishly. He couldn't wait for the twins to get a little older and more distinguishable so that he didn't mix them up all of the time.

They entered the building but still there was no sign of the bride and groom.

"Can I help you?" The girl behind the information desk asked as she saw the curious faces of the group straining their necks to look around.

"I doubt it." Mokuba sighed heavily as he approached the counter. "My brother got married here this morning but due to unforeseen circumstances we missed the ceremony. I was hoping that we might have caught the taking of photographs afterwards, but it looks like we missed that too. His cell phone's switched off so I can't get through to him. Do you happen to know where they went?"

A huge grin shone from the girl behind the desk. "You're in luck. The wedding was late starting and is still in progress." She was met with happy surprised faces. "They're in the Awen foyer, to your left on the second floor."

"Thank you!" Mokuba gasped his delight before speedily racing off to ascend the stairs. Maybe today wasn't going to be so bad after all?

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"… Thus, a happy marriage is based not so much on love as on the pursuit of love, the unremitting effort to develop your own love and to deserve your partner's. And as with happiness, so the pursuit of love becomes love itself." The Registrar kept up the smiling face as she preformed the ceremony. She was greatly running the risk of being late for her next service and tried not to let her own problem ruin the moment for the happy couple.

"I'm bored!" Anathema moaned quietly as she sat between Gwen and Rhys.

"That makes two of us then." Rhys whispered back to the little girl and then wished he hadn't when his wife stared at him disapprovingly for the remark.

"Not long now Sweetie." Gwen assured as she wrapped her arm around the child next to her. "It'll be over soon." She kept her voice free from portraying any emotions that she felt inside from watching her friend dedicating his life to another woman.

"I'm still bored!" Anathema grumbled, fed up with having to sit still, wearing the pretty dress and flowers that had lost their appeal once attention had been drawn away from her. A smile crossed her face though when the bag of sweets from before was offered to her once more, and this time the Welshman didn't flinch from the recurring look he received from his wife.

"… Now if you'd like to repeat after me… '_I do solemnly declare that I know not of any lawful impediment why I, Seto, may not be joined in matrimony to Kisara'._"

A quick glance at his audience and Seto saw the smiling faces of Jack and Gwen watching him whilst Anathema and Rhys where now huddled together. He was positioned at the wrong angle to see the look on his best man's face but knew that Ianto would be smiling too. Even though he was feeling upset that his brother and his family weren't there to witness the event, there was still no denying the ecstatic feeling he had when he began to repeat the words which he had been asked to say.

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"Why couldn't we just use the elevator?" Naoko complained as she struggled up the last few steps in her extremely high-heeled designer shoes. The couple each carrying one of their children ignored her as they made their way around to where the girl behind the desk had told them to go.

"Sorry, but you can't go that way." Banana Boat told them as he blocked the path leading to the Awen foyer.

"Why not?" Rebecca questioned.

"There's a wedding in process and it's my job to stop anyone from gate crashing it."

"Well good for you!" Mokuba exclaimed sarcastically. "But that happens to be my brother's wedding, - Seto Kaiba, - so stand aside and let us by."

"No!" The Welshman was firm with his answer and stood rigidly. "I'm told to make sure that _nobody _comes beyond this point, so that's what I'm going to do."

"You are joking?" A brow was raised sceptically as the younger Kaiba brother tried not to become irritated yet was failing to remain calm. "I'm his brother for god's sake. Let me through!"

"How do I know you're his brother?" A bucktooth grin shot back. "You could be anyone for all I know. I'm sure he would have said to make exceptions if he'd been expecting anyone."

"But he wasn't expecting us for the ceremony!"

"Which just proves my point, doesn't it?"

"_Get outta my way!!" _Mokuba roared as he lost his temper with the idiot man blocking his path. "Before I …"

"Mokie." Rebecca growled at her husband. The last thing she wanted was a repeat of the airport incidence back in Domino. Good job he had hold of Arthur as it meant he wouldn't be able to throw any punches without first placing their son down. She calmly spoke to the man who was simply carrying out his assigned task. "Please, we're telling you the truth. We were meant to be here for the wedding but got delayed, and instead of getting Seto's hopes up with the tiny possibility of making it in time, we told him not to expect us. Just let us by."

Banana Boat shook his head as he still refused to change his mind. "No can do. I'd have to talk with him first and he's busy."

Now she understood how her husband felt. And as Rebecca was about to argue her case further she was cut off by another voice from behind them.

"Hey guys, how's it going?"

"Joey!" Mokuba exclaimed rather excitedly as he spun around to see the blonde standing there along with Yugi and Tea. It had been over a month since they'd last spoken on the phone, and even longer than that since they'd seen each other. Over the years he and Rebecca had kept in touch with the friends who they knew his brother didn't approve of, which is why their contact was kept secret from him. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Taking time-out from the norm and supporting Tea with her theatre group tour of the UK." Joey explained. "Lucky break that our paths crossed like this eh? You told us which day your bro was expecting to marry here, which I still can't believe, - both the marriage and the here parts, - and that happened to coincide with when we were in town too…"

"Stop crowding this area and move someplace else will you!" The Welshman tried to move them all along, back the way they had come.

"We want to go someplace else but you won't let us!" Mokuba shot back. "I can't believe that an idiot like you is stopping me from attending my own brother's wedding!"

Joey could understand the frustration of the younger man being kept apart from his brother on such an important day of the other's life. He wouldn't let anyone come between him and his sister so was only to willing to reunited the two Kaibas. Even if one of them was a jerk who he didn't like, no one had the right to keep siblings apart. "Don't worry about it squirt, we'll soon sort that out won't we Yuuge?"

"I never was much good at stuff like this, but I'm willing to give it a shot since it's for a good cause." Yugi shrugged as he became ready to aid his friend knowing just what was on the other's mind.

"Oh guys, no!" By the time Tea had realised what they were going to do it was too late as Joey and Yugi rushed at the man blocking the corridor and held him pinned against the wall.

"Go now!" Both men insisted as they held their target in place.

Not wasting another second, both Mokuba and Rebecca walked off quickly holding their children securely, making sure not to shake them with any vigorous running whilst Naoko hobbled along in her heels after them.

"No! Stop!" Banana Boat yelled after them as he was pinned tightly to the wall. He raised his knee to strike the blonde between the legs, who let go of him instantly, and then used his free arm to swipe at the other man who let go of him as he jumped back.

Free from their grip the Welshman didn't get with his sprinting before a pair of arms wrapped around his neck as Tea jumped him. "Oh no you don't!"

All seven of them, - nine if you include the carried twins, - continued down the corridor, creating a cacophony of noise with their angry and annoyed voices. The two parents with their now over-excited babies had just about made it to the main foyer. The tottering woman close behind them before she finally stumbled and fell to the ground. The dancer still clinging for dear life around the Welshman's neck, and the other two men who brought up the rear as they dived to help their female friend …

"_What_ is the meaning of this?" The Registrar's voice boomed through the air as she was the first to notice the disturbance.

From each end of the aisle a group of stunned looking faces stared back at each other in pure silence.

_Mokuba!_ It was Seto's first excited thought as he spotted his brother and the rest of his family. They'd made it just in time to see him pledge his life after all. His thoughts after that though lacked the same feeling as he spied the faces of the three who he hadn't seen since high school. _Yugi? Joey? Tea?_

Banana Boat struggled to his feet as he pushed off the combined weight of three people on top of him. "I tried to stop them, honest I did, but …"

"Forget about it." Seto assured, now angry with himself for having appointing the Welshman as a guard who had clearly taken the assigned, purely pointless role seriously and just tried to hold his brother and the others back from attending the ceremony. "It's okay."

"May I_ politely_ remind you that time is pushing…" The Registrar left her words open hinting that she was eager to continue and complete the ceremony.

"Of course." Seto nodded in response and then called to the group of new arrivals opposite him. "Take a seat if you intend on staying."

Mokuba and Rebecca moved forward and seated themselves on a row of chairs behind the others who were already there, the twins seated on their knees. Banana Boat helped Naoko to her feet and they seated themselves behind the married couple. A moment of dithering before Yugi tilted his head, bowing thanks to his old rival and he too seated himself down on the third row next to Naoko. Joey and Tea exchanged confused unsure looks before deciding to follow their friend's lead.

"Where were we?" The Registrar smiled again now that things were back on track. She then remembered that it was Kisara's turn to make her pledge. "Do you need me to repeat you words?"

"No, I've got it." Kisara insisted as she still remembered the phrase she had been told before the interruption. "I call upon these persons here present to witness that I take thee Seto to be my lawful wedded husband." She smiled a little wider than normal when she spoke, overjoyed with the appearances of their new guests. It was starting to feel more like a wedding now.

The Registrar turned to Ianto with her instruction. "You may present the rings."

_Rings! _His eyes widened with the realisation that he hadn't gotten them from Seto when he had first arrived earlier. "Give them here, quickly." He whispered to the groom, hand out and hoping that there wasn't anything else he'd forgotten.

"I don't have them." Seto stated, and together with his best man, turned to the man who did. "Jack."

The captain sat slumped in his chair, head in his hand and wishing that the rift would open up and swallow him. He let out a sigh as he pulled his head up to deliver the bad news with a wince. "I don't have them either."

"What?!"

"It's okay Seto." Kisara laughed. "He's joking; tried to, - and did, - make me panic on the way up here by pretending we were stuck in the elevator."

"No _really_, I don't have them. They're still in my office." He felt extremely bad for having forgotten the two most important items needed for the day and knew he deserved every bit of the hate displayed in the cold, narrowed and fuming stare from his friend. "Give me five minutes and I'll go get … No make that ten minutes, I'm not sure where I put them."

"I'm afraid that's time you don't have." The Registrar told the captain. "If there are no rings to exchange then I'll have no choice but to leave with the couple unwed."

The groom bit hard on his tongue, trying to remain calm. Just when he thought his day was looking up, it took a plummeting nosedive. Maybe they should just let the Registrar leave now and be left to reschedule and plan their day over from scratch? That way they'd have it how they wanted, how Kisara wanted, - deserved, - to have things her way. He met his bride's eyes and saw the same heartbreaking look that mimicked his own feelings; both of them just desperately wanting to have their love made official and celebrated with those they cherished.

It was then Seto realised that whatever hurdles were thrown their way, - and there'd been plenty of them already, - they'd still overcome them by any means to get what they both desired for the day's outcome. With a little improvisation the ceremony could still continue and be completed.

"Does anybody have a ring they are willing to loan until after the wedding?" He asked his guests and then seeing his brother instantly reached for his own wedding band he added, "I won't take yours or Becky's, so you leave those rings were they are." After the way he'd behaved towards the couple around the time of Mokuba's proposal he felt undeserving of such a request fulfilment from them. His brother noted this too and nodded his understanding.

There was a murmur of voices from those seated as possible candidates for ring donors were being discussed amongst themselves.

"Rhys, take off your ring." Gwen ordered in a whispery voice.

"No!" He hissed back his protest. "They're _ours_, not _theirs_ …"

"And they haven't got theirs! It's only for a little while, don't act like such a baby …"

"No." A hand landed on top of Gwen's as she was about to pull off her wedding ring and it firmly curved around her fingers. She looked directly at her captain as he refused to let her continue with her actions. "Marriage is a two way commitment which you can't always control to your liking. If Rhys feels so strongly about the symbolic dedication of his life to you then you should respect that. Don't risk your marriage for anybody else's."

The stern look she had received, from the equally stern words, told Gwen that Jack was aware of her minimalist inner doubts about her feelings towards her husband. But did he honestly think that is was Seto she wanted? Had that been the case, then would she really be the one offering _her_ ring so that he'd be able to marry the woman who _he _loved? No, of course not; they were friends and nothing more, even if she felt some bizarre unexplainable connection to the CEO which ran deeper than the quick fumble they'd once shared.

Jack's grip loosened as he felt the fingers beneath his slacken and release their hold on the ring they had been clasping at. A stab of bitter irony jabbed away at him from the words he had just told her. The questioning look in her eyes reminded him so much of his Gwyneth, and for a split second he doubted his loyalty and faithfulness towards Ianto. To help vanquish the thoughts, he rose to his feet and moved back a couple of rows where he apologised to the three friends from the groom's youth as he squeezed by them and unavoidably trod on their toes.

With no rings of their own to speak of Yugi and Tea looked towards Joey. The blonde sadly looked down at the pale ring mark of where his wedding ring had once been.

"You finally took it off?" Yugi asked his friend who had been trying to come to terms with the messy divorce that had been endured.

"Yeah." Joey whispered sadly. "It's no use to me now."

"Aw come on, just one." Jack pleaded with Naoko. "You've got several which you could spare."

Begrudgingly she glared back at the captain and his glistening white grin, before she glanced over to view the disheartened bride. She herself wasn't too fond of the groom but her friend, - who was practically like a sister to her, - was completely head over heels in love with him, so if he made her happy then she should just accept it and be happy for them right? With a sigh, she removed one of her many rings and handed it to the charmingly handsome man hounding her.

"Thanks!" Jack turned and after some more trodden toes, he raced back up the aisle with his fist tightly clenched around his scavenging reward. "Rings are sorted, here they come!"

A huge wash of relief and gratitude swept through Seto who then began to feel slightly guilty when his friend presented two rings to him on the palm of his hand. The one intended for his bride was gold and had a solitary blue diamond, - fake he sensed but now wasn't the issue for such matters, - and the one for him was a simple platinum band. He stared speechless for a moment, moved that such a donation had been made. Deciding that he'd changed his mind on the issue he managed to find his feeble voice. "I can't …"

"Yes you can." Ianto insisted as he took the rings from his lover. "You've come too far to be backing out now Seto Kaiba." He teased his friend with his deadpan tone. "You will be walking away from here as a married man."

The rings were handed to the Registrar who asked the captain to retake his seat before she continued with the ceremony by presenting the first ring to Seto. "Please make your final, personally chosen vow to the woman beside you."

Seto took the ring and held it between two of his fingers that shook ever-so-slightly. Holding his bride's hand, he raised it and gently slid the ring over her finger. "Kisara, I give you this ring as a token of my love, and a symbol of our marriage. I vow to be loving, faithful and loyal to you, in living our married life together." Everyone present was aware that the ring in question actually referred to her own, which for the moment resided in Jack's office, but it didn't make his pledge any less meaningful.

The platinum band was handed to Kisara who struggled to hold both the bouquet and the groom's hand with her own until Ianto kindly came to her rescue and relieved her of the blue and white flowers. "Seto, as I take you to be my husband, I promise to love you, honour and respect you. I will stand by you and be true to you always. I will care for you, laugh with you when you are happy, comfort you when you are sad. Whatever our life may bring I will always love you." With the ring now placed on his finger, she took back her bouquet and the Registrar began to read her final passage.

"Marriage is not only a commitment between lovers; it is also an agreement between two friends. Allow each other time to be an individual and respect each other's wishes as well as their dreams. Now that you have joined yourselves in matrimony, may you strive always to meet this commitment with the same spirit that you exhibit here today."

Side by side and with their fingers entwined, Seto and Kisara both beamed at each other, confident that they'd have no problem with maintaining what they had just been told.

"We all bear witness to this ceremony you have just performed and you may now call yourselves by those old and respected names: Husband & Wife."

Clapping and cheering erupted from just about all of their guests.

"You may kiss the bride."

It had been a long hard journey to get to this moment, and now that it was here they indulged themselves with their first blissful kiss as a married couple, their lips refusing to part as the sound of cheering and clapping continued, with a hint of tears being over-dramatically shed by the Welshman on the back row.

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**A/N: Phew! They got there in the end didn't they? But the story's not over yet as there's still the reception party to attend ;)**

**And I think I run the elevator joke into the ground XD  
**

**KG  
**


	15. Chapter 15

**Usual thanks to starwefter :)**

**Chapter Fifteen **

With the ceremony over, all the paperwork signed to make the occasion verified and the Registrar happily on her way to carry out her next service, the newlyweds and their guests moved outside into the brightening weather to capture some of their memories on film. The photographer still wasn't anywhere to be seen so after moving to one side, Ianto had used his cell phone to call the man and find out why he was absent.

"_Twil tin!_"

"Uh-oh, that can't be good!" Jack commented as he witnessed his lover returning after having growled angrily before the cell phone was snapped shut.

"That would be an understatement." The Welshman retorted in his usual calm manner as he joined the other man's side. "The photographer says that he was fed up with being messed around and cancelled at last minute on the other dates we had given him before this, and felt that we deserved to be put out like he was."

"Bastard!" The captain muttered his frustration at the fact that his friend wouldn't have any photographic mementos because of the childish retaliation.

"Exactly." Ianto agreed. "What are we going to do now? I could grab your Polaroid from back at the hub …"

Jack shook his head. "Can't, the batteries are flat." He gestured across to Gwen and Rhys. "He's got a camera on him though since he _insisted_ on bringing it earlier, so he can take the pictures now."

"First the music, and now the photographs? Rhys to the rescue twice in one day? _And _it wouldn't be the first time he's helped us out of a situation." The young Welshman's brows were raised questioningly. "You think we should recruit him to Torchwood?"

"Hell no!"

"But even in the past he's proved that he _can_ be useful when you least expect …"

"The day I have that man on my team, will be the day when the Earth is completely without hope!" Jack cut across Ianto's words, his dislike for Rhys failing to be held back from his tone of voice. "Come on; let's go break the news to the big oaf."

The two men dashed off to join Gwen and her husband, passing by the newlyweds as they did so. Seto watched them race by as he stood with Kisara on one arm, Anathema half dangling-half tugging on the other, and Naoko conversing with his wife about her wedding dress. He would have given anything to escape from the droning discussion.

"So who was it then?" The annoying woman asked her friend. "Who did you find to make this gorgeous dress since you shunned the one you originally commissioned Demetrios to make? Vera Wang perhaps?"

"No." Kisara gave a little giggle, along with thinking thoughts of how would her friend would react when she learnt that it had been made by someone who wasn't part of the fashion industry? "It's 'a one of a kind' Ianto Jones original."

_Did she just say Ianto? _Seto thought to himself. Why his friend had made the dress he'd never know. Did he even want to? Perhaps something had gone wrong with the designer one? After some of the things that had already gone askew for their day, it wouldn't surprise him. Had the Welshman simply stepped in to make a replacement? Or was his friend even more of a control freak than he had first thought and insisted she'd wear this dress instead? _I think some things are best left unknown, just for my sanity if nothing else._

"Ianto Jones?" Naoko repeated the name she had been told since she had never heard of the man before.

Kisara gave another giggle at seeing the predicted bemused look on her friend's face. "He was Seto's best man during the ceremony."

"Ahh!" She quite liked the look of the pretty faced man and turned to view him as he stood with two other men and a woman as they all looked over a huge out-of-date camera. "Obviously gay though." She sighed her thoughts out loud.

"Bi actually." The bride corrected.

"Oh yeah?" Her tone picked up at hearing this fact.

"And he's taken!" Seto growled. He'd come across many women like Naoko in his life. She was only after one of two things, - knowing her, probably both, - and he wasn't going to watch her attempt to wedge his two friends apart. Not that she'd succeed in doing so even if she did try.

_Typical! _Naoko's mind muttered inside her head as she continued to watch the group with the camera. She became even more jealous as she guessed that it was the dashingly handsome man, - the very same man who had persuaded her to part with her favourite ring just a short while earlier, - who was the pretty Welshman's partner. Why were the men she wanted nearly always out of her reach? She then spotted the bucktooth Welshman on his own and smiling right at her. _Maybe if I overlook those teeth, he can suffice my needs?_ "I'll see you two later. I have some mingling to do with your guests."

The groom shook his head disbelievingly as he watched the woman leave to make her way over towards the other irritant to his big day. Both of them were so alike that it was almost uncanny that they should find each other. His attention became snagged by his brother's laughter.

Mokuba and Rebecca were stood holding their sons whilst they laughed and joked with the group of three friend's who Seto hadn't seen since high school. What were they doing here in Cardiff? But more importantly, what were they doing here at his wedding? Why had they taken up his invitation to stay during the ceremony, and why had he done such a thing in the first place by allowing them to do so instead of ordering them away?

"Go." Kisara insisted as she caught the longing look in her husband's eye. She unlinked her arm from his. "Talk to them."

"And say what exactly?" Seto was terrified with the possibility of facing up to his past. It was a lot easier to not run but definitely walk, and keep on walking, away from those he never found acceptance with during his youth.

"I'm sure you'll think of something." His wife smiled sweetly and gave his hand one last encouraging squeeze to boast his floundering confidence.

_Okay. _Seto nodded in return and then signalled to the little girl to let go of his hand so that he could approach the unexpected guests on his own. He took in a lungful of air to help psyche himself up and as he was about to step forward, his path was momentarily crossed as Anathema sped off in direction of the water tower. With his intention now diverted to make sure that she didn't activate the invisible lift, he chose to race after her; talking to the others could wait. "Hey, come back here!"

Kisara smiled as she watched the game of chase commence and didn't notice the stranger now standing beside her until he spoke. "Nice day for a wedding, - wasn't expecting to see anything occasions like this on my travels, - though you had better hurry it up and take those pictures before the heavens open again. Doesn't look like the rain will hold off for much longer."

"We're just waiting on the photographer, he's due to arrive any minute now." The bride informed the strange man about the arrangements that had been made. She looked at him standing next to her.

He wore a dark, long flowing coat with an equally long flowing, multicoloured scarf. On his head a large rimmed hat sat on a mass of wild brown curls, and his eyes were wide in their sockets. "I must say you look very beautiful." A broad grin accompanied his words.

"Thank you." Kisara replied unsurely as the gaze she received unnerved her slightly with its look of eeriness as the pair of eyes bulged at her. She was fairly certain that the man was just being polite, but still he seemed creepy somehow.

Suddenly the man's hand reached into his pocket and drew out a small white paper bag which he presented to her. "Would you like a jelly baby?"

At a loss for words, the bride's mouth silently flapped as she thought of the best and politest way to decline from the stranger's peculiar offer.

"This guy bothering you Kisara?" The sound of Jack's voice came to her rescue as he entered on the scene with Gwen by his side. His eyes were fixed on the man hanging around his friend's wife.

"No." She had decided. An extremely faint inkling at the back of her mind told her that she somehow knew this man, and that this encounter with her was nothing more than a mere friendly 'hello'.

"Well we're sorry to interrupt, but Ianto's just giving my Rhys a couple of last minute tips and then the photographs will be underway."

"Rhys is taking our photos? What happened to the photographer?"

"I'll explain on the way." Gwen assured as she led Kisara closer towards the water tower where Seto the other guests were gathering and almost ready to have their images captured on film.

The captain remained where he was and continued to glare at the stranger who stared back in that slightly maniacal way. Although the gaze from the bulging eyes was quite creepy, he couldn't help feel like the man was familiar to him somehow. Like he was staring at a close friend, just like Seto or the Doctor.

"Would _you_ like a jelly baby?" The paper bag was now held out towards the mute observer. "Go on. I highly recommend the green ones."

Jack was still trying to figure out why this guy scored highly on his familiarity scale as he reached in to take one of the bag's contents. He pulled out one of the sweets, - a yellow one, - and held on to it with his thumb and forefinger. "Who did you say you were?"

"I didn't." The grin widened. "I'm just a tourist, like you."

"Believe me, I'm no tourist." A smirk as the sweet was placed into his mouth. "More of a local boy; been here most of my life." Okay, he'd been buried alive for the majority of that time, but it still didn't make it any less true.

"Really? I do apologise, - it was the accent that threw me, - didn't mean to assume …"

"_Jack!"_

He turned to see both Gwen and Ianto striding towards him. When he turned back to the strange-yet-oh-so-familiar, fashion challenged man, he was gone.

"Still taking candy from strangers I see."

"Only the confectionary type." Jack mumbled whilst he continued to chew on the jelly baby in his mouth. He was aware that the taunt from his lover had been spoken wittily and didn't show any signs of jealousy like there had once been in the past. The contents of his mouth were swallowed. "Did either of you see where he went?"

Ianto shook his head with a frown dragging at his lips. "Nope."

"Who is he?" Gwen asked, quite surprised that her colleague hadn't asked the same question himself. "Kisara says he's some weirdo…" She changed her mind at the sceptical look she received from the Welshman. "… Those may not have been her exact words …"

"He just said he's a tourist." Their captain shrugged, still struggling to figure out the feeling of familiarity that he had felt. His mind was working so hard on the matter that his eyes glanced right over the TARDIS' perception filters as it stood across from them on the other side of Roald Dahl Plass.

"Isn't that Sarah-Jane Smith?" Ianto asked as he thought he recognised one of the women walking across the oval basin.

"Where?" The older man asked eagerly as he scanned the thinly spread crowd of tourists. Had the old companion of the Doctor come searching for him for some reason? Maybe she'd taken a liking to his irresistible charms?

"There." The Welshman pointed directly to where the woman stood.

"If it is, then she's either had a facelift or she sure knows how to moisturise." Gwen added as the woman who had been spotted looked younger than the one who had helped to defeat the Daleks well over a year ago.

"Yes, that's definitely her." Jack confirmed. "I never forget a face, even if they look younger than when I first saw them…" He trailed off as he then spotted the strange man with the wild hair and long scarf approaching her.

They walked right up to each other, laughed together at something the man had to say before the sweets were offered. Both of them took one of the bag's contents and then began to slowly stride beside each other towards…

"Oh, I don't believe it!"

"Believe what?" Gwen asked her captain who seemed to be chuckling at some kind of private joke.

Ianto followed his lover's line of vision that raced ahead of where the man and woman where heading. At first he didn't see anything and then, as he stared harder, he saw the blue call box shaped TARDIS once he broke through the perception filters that veiled it. "That's well over half a century out of place!" He was a little surprised at what he saw since he had never actually seen what the timelord's time machine looked like and had expected something a little more … futuristic.

"What are you two talking about?!" She hated it when they were like this. Both of them seemed to know exactly what the other was thinking yet she was completely left in the dark which just proved the saving that, _'two's company, three's a crowd'._

"That guy there, he's the Doctor." Jack told her as the timelord and Sarah-Jane now entered into the TARDIS.

"Don't be ridiculous! I've seen what the Doctor looks like, he's gorgeous, and that man ... Well he's not even close in the looks department …"

"He's a previous incarnation."

"Eh?" What was her colleague talking about? Was this something else he'd been told which she hadn't been informed of?

"Just wait until I see him again." Jack chuckled at the thought of teasing the timelord who had criticised his fashion sense on more than one occasion. "I'll never let him live that scarf down … Ever!"

"_Hey, you three!" _They turned at hearing Seto's voice.

All of the Kaibas, - and the bride's friend, - were stood in front of the water tower which reflected a rainbow forming in the sky above them in its huge mirror-like panels. Rhys was ready with the camera, Banana Boat by his side whilst Yugi, Joey and Tea hung back and out of the way of things.

"How much longer are we going to have to wait for you to join us?" The groom asked in his raised voice. "Can't have these photographs taken without you."

"You want us in your snapshots?" The captain questioned back with a slightly confused look on his face.

"Of course." Seto wished they'd come closer so that he didn't have to strain the vocal cords in his throat. "Two of you_ did_ just play very important roles in my wedding. And besides …" A smile spread across his face. "You guys are like family to me."

_Family._ Ianto smirked to himself as the three of them made their way back over to join the rest of the group. He couldn't argue with the thing that his friend prioritised most, and was honoured to be considered so close to him. Would he ever let Seto know just how much the simple gesture meant to him? Probably not.

"I wonder which family members he sees us as?" Gwen pondered out aloud.

"With your bossy but kind, protective attitude, I'm guessing you'd be an older sister." Jack stated. "Or possibly a mom, whichever is the least appropriate for you to want to be towards him." He smirked a broad smug-type grin, hoping she'd take the jest in the good manner it was meant. His lover snickered along with him.

"Yeah, well you'd be the shameful black sheep of the family!" She shot at Ianto. His sniggering stopped instantly and there was a regretful feeling at seeing the shaken look on his face from what had been meant as a tease and nothing more from her.

"My Yantie's got nothing to be ashamed of." The statement was aimed more directly at the Welshman as a reassurance rather than a response to the suggestion that had been made.

"Forget it Gwen, I know you weren't being serious." Ianto assured since she was completely unaware of just how close she had hit home with the way he had been made to feel about his 'shameful' family. He'd only ever confided in his lover about the issue that his father had imposed on him. "Now let's see, who would Jack be?" _The older brother? Father figure?_ They were both possible nominees that were no doubt expected to be suggested. But the Welshman had another candidate in mind as a grin curved his lips with amusement of the sheer thought. "I think 'Granddad' would best suit him."

"Granddad Jack." Gwen giggled at the role which had been decided for him. "It has a certain ring to it, don't you think?"

"Yeah, fantastic." Jack laughed along with them whilst his heart secretly sank.

They reached the water tower and took their places amongst the group as Rhys attempted to prep his subjects, "Say cheese!"

When all the posed photographs had been taken and the flashes of light had finally ceased, the group broke down into smaller ones once again. This time the groom found himself with his brother and sister-in-law, whilst his wife and her friend kept an eye on their 'daughter' and one of the twins.

"Surprised to see us?" Mokuba asked as he shifted Arthur, - or was it Noah? - from one arm to the other.

"Very." Seto grinned in reply. "I'd almost given up hope seeing you here today with the luck we've been having recently."

"Things not gone according to plan then?" Becky smirked as she teased her brother-in-law.

"You could say that." He smirked right back and then glanced over to watch Anathema trying to place her headdress of flowers onto her little cousin's head who wasn't willing to conform to her actions. Another smile tugged at his lips as he recalled the incident back at his friend's apartment. "It hasn't all been bad though."

"Hungy."

"Hang on just a little bit longer." The mother felt bad for making her child wait for food but it was unavoidable since they hadn't had time to restock on snacks after their flight. "We'll be at a party soon and you can have something to eat there."

"Where is the reception party being held bro?" Mokuba asked curiously.

"I haven't got a clue." Seto admitted. He then excused himself so that he could go and find out and approached his three friends. "Where did you guys arrange to hold the reception?"

"Oh shit!" Ianto gasped fearfully as he only just remembered that he had forgotten to call and inform the caterers and venue of the go ahead like he'd been told to do by them to avoid any more last minute cancellations. "I was meant to call them yesterday…" His hands fumbled into his pocket to reach for his cell phone which he dropped on the ground as he took it out. _Fuck!_

"Whoa, easy there!" Jack insisted with an out stretched arm propping his lover back. Seeing the panic-stricken face he bent down to retrieve the fallen phone instead. "Don't fret, I'll handle this." He took several paces away from them and called to see if it wasn't too late to arrange something.

The Welshman continued to stare at his friend in horror. "Oh god, I'm _so _sorry!"

"Don't worry about it." Seto held back his disappointment from showing, which to his surprise wasn't that much now that the ceremony was over, _plus _he really couldn't blame the younger man after what he had been through during the previous twenty-four hours. "You've had a lot to deal with, what with the body swap and all…"

"And don't' forget about that dress you slaved over last night." The Welshwoman added.

"That's no excuse!" Ianto blurted out, his voice not the usual calm tone but somewhere between fright and anger. "I should be able to cope under pressure, god knows I've done it many times in the past …"

"Yan, I said _don't_ worry about it." The CEO's voice was almost like a threatening growl as he tried to get through to his friend.

"We'll get out of this somehow." Gwen smiled and placed her arm over her colleague's shoulders, which he escaped from as discreetly as he could. "You know how the saying goes; _'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade'_…"

"That may be so, but we all know that he prefers the saying; _'When life gives you lemons, make orgasmic coffee and let them wonder how the hell you did it'_." Jack chuckled as he returned from making the call to the caterers.

Ianto's spirits rose from seeing that confident smile of his lover. "So you did it?" His voice was excited. "Everything's still good to go?"

"No." The smile had disappeared from Jack's face. "We're completely screwed, and not in the good way either…" He watched the look of shock return to the Welshman's face and saw a hint of it appear in the groom's face also. "But don't worry; I have a back up plan."

"And what's that exactly?" Seto asked.

"We may not be able to have a full blown party for your wedding reception, so the next best thing would be a meal together, right?"

"_Right_, and where do you plan on having that?"

"Look around us Seto." Jack held his arms wide to indicate the bay area full of restaurants and bars. "Take your pick. I'm sure we'll fit ten adults …"

"Thirteen adults." He took in to account the three others he'd known back in high school. Why had he chosen to include them?

"Okay I stand corrected, _thirteen _adults and three children …" The captain trailed off as he saw Ianto now chuckling to himself like a demented idiot. "I don't like the way that you're laughing."

Now the tables were turned, it was Jack who was in the dark as Gwen knew exactly why her colleague was laughing to himself. "You haven't got a chance at finding anywhere that will take us all in down here."

"Why not?" He didn't see any flaw with his plan.

"Let's start with the fact that we have three young kids with us; that's just cut your choices by over half." She began to list the problems they'd face finding a suitable place to eat. "It's a Saturday, noon, the start of summer, tourist season; you'd be lucky to get a group of four of us in any of those places right now..."

"So it's not going to happen." Seto sighed with frustration. "What now?"

"How'd you feel about gate-crashing?" Gwen asked as she reached for her phone and speed dialled her parent's number.

The line rang once before it was swiftly answered. "Hello? Is that you Duckling?"

"Yes dad it's me." She smiled at hearing his voice and then began to shake her head as the three men all mouthed '_Duckling?_' with baffled faces. This was no time to explain to them about her father's pet name for her. "Auntie Dyllis' 'WI do', that's this weekend, - today, - right?"

"It is."

"Good."

"Are you going?"

"Yeah, I was thinking about it. Do you think she'd mind if I brought a few friends along?"

"Oh, I don't think she'd mind. The more the merrier I reckon she'd say, especially since she hasn't had much luck convincing many other people to attend. Your mother and I would go if it wasn't for the travelling issues involved. It would be nice to see you again. And Rhys of course. We still can't believe that you married him without telling us…"

"I've said I'm sorry about that." She hated being made to feel guilty about having 'supposedly' gotten married in secret. "Look, tell mum we'll come and see you guys next weekend. I love you both."

"We love you too Duckling."

"Bye." She hung up and stared at the three men. "If any of you _ever_ call me…"

"Duckling?" Seto finished the sentence for her and received a mock glare that caused him to smirk.

"I'll let you off just this once since it's your wedding day, but next time I won't be so merciful."

"I take it that you've just gotten us a co-hosted party?" Ianto asked.

"Yep." She was busy scribbling something down in a small notepad before she tore out the page and handed it to her colleague. "Here's the address, we're going to need several taxis…"

"Make that one less taxi." Jack ordered. "The bride and groom will be arriving there in style." He raced off towards the hub's main entrance via the tourist information office.

"I'll sort out the taxis, you go with Jack." Ianto told Gwen. "He's going to need directions to this place; you know what his driving is like." She nodded in response and the three of them splintered off to get the guests ready for their departure.

Seto returned to his wife, brother and sister-in-law with news of what was to happen next whilst his two friends informed the rest of his guests.

"But I wanna go with you and Mommy Kara." Anathema pouted at having been told that she would have to travel in the taxi with her uncle Mokie.

"It's just this one journey Kiddo, you can travel with us on the way back, okay?"

She nodded sadly and forced a smile. "Okay Daddy."

"Daddy?" It was Mokuba who voiced what he and the two women were thinking. "Since when?"

"Since I collected her from Gwen's place this morning." Seto beamed proudly. "I didn't encourage her, she just came right out with it herself…"

_Beep! Beep!_

The sound of the SUV's horn caught everybody's attention. They watched as the black reinforced vehicle with flashing blue windscreen lights came to a stop. Jack got out and opened the rear door for the newlyweds to enter inside. "All aboard!"

"This is madness!" Kisara laughed as Seto helped her onto the huge backseat before climbing in himself.

"I know." He agreed as he pulled the door shut. "Here I am _willingly_ allowing myself to experience Jack's driving."

"Oi mister, enough of your lip!" The captain called back from the driver's seat as he strapped himself in once more. "If it wasn't for my driving then …"

"Then what?" Gwen asked curiously as she sat in the passenger seat.

Jack smiled as he viewed his friend in the rear view mirror and thought back to the time when he'd been left by the timelord to keep an eye on the then-angsty CEO. "Then we probably wouldn't be here as friends today." He started the engine and pulled away from the roadside of Mermaid Quay.

A loud clattering sound followed along behind the SUV as it drove off. Several empty tin cans had been tied together and attached to the bumper so that they dragged along on the road. On the back windscreen the message _'Just Married'_ had been scrawled across it in white spray paint.

"You know, it's a wonder that Torchwood has managed to stay secret if that's how you guys go about being discreet." Rhys quietly told Ianto as he stood beside him watching the vehicle drive away.

The young Welshman let out a sigh. "I completely agree." Sometimes he worried about his lover's inability to take things seriously. _How the hell am I meant to clear all that paint off?_

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

**A/N: Kinda felt this chapter stray a little too much in some places so edited it to bring it back in line.**

**_Twil tin_**** - That would be welsh for 'Arsehole'.**

**And so we have an appearance from the Doctor in his fourth incarnation. (gotta love Tom Baker)**

**KG**

P.S;- If anyone feels like leaving a review so that starwefter won't be lonely any more, then please do so. Ianto _always_ has coffee and welshcakes for those who take the time to review. ;)


	16. Chapter 16

**Thanks to starwefter and darkdranzer for leaving reviews :)**

**Chapter Sixteen**

Surprisingly enough, and no doubt thanks to firmly-given directions by the woman in the front passenger seat, Jack had managed to find the well concealed social club located just outside of Caerphilly. They were the first group from the wedding to arrive and Gwen wasted no time in rushing to explain the situation to the group of mainly ageing women who were attending the organised event to raise money for the Women's Institute.

"Who are all these people Seto?"

"I know that one of them is Gwen's aunt who's agreed to let us share her celebrations … other than that, I haven't got a clue." He whispered back to his wife in an equally hushed voice like she had used. Together they stood to one side, the captain having abandoned them only a moment earlier as he dashed away to consult with the event's DJ.

It wasn't long before Gwen returned to them with the news. "I've just finished speaking with auntie Dyllis, explained to her your situation, and she and the others don't have a problem with you taking over their party,_ providing_ that you make a small donation towards the Women's Institute in return."

"How much of a donation?" Seto asked.

"I think she's hopping for around a hundred pounds at least." The explained request was given with a slight grimace knowing that her friend didn't like being told what to do with his money.

"Add a couple of zeros on to the end of that sum; that'll be her donation from me."

Gwen's eyes widened in surprise with hearing the generously upped amount and turned to Kisara. "Okay, what did you do with the real Seto? Not that I'm complaining, this impostor is still just as extremely attractive…" She tried to stop herself but it was too late, she'd let the word slip. "Please tell me that I didn't just describe my friend as 'extremely attractive'?" Her cheeks flushed slightly as she winced at her faux pas.

"Didn't hear a thing." Seto replied mockingly.

"Me neither." A forced smile from Kisara who was now even more suspicious that something had gone on between them which she wasn't aware of. The embarrassed look had said it all. Good thing she wasn't the type to become jealous easily or she might have caused a scene right about now by demanding the other woman keep away from her man.

"Right, follow me!" Gwen ordered as she led them over to where several tables were being placed together ready for the speeches to take place.

"Seto!"

His head turned to see Jack waving him over to join him and a balding man at the huge turntable. He broke away from the two women to see what his friend required him for. "Yes?"

"We have a problem." The captain sighed. "It turns out that this guy doesn't own a single Take That song so your choice for the first dance will have to change." He indicated to the several rows of boxes filled with vinyl records. "You can have anything else that you like, as long as it was released before the mid nineties."

"But Take That were an early nineties boy-band." Seto argued the fact with the DJ's collection. He caught a quick glimpse of some of the vinyl sleeves belonging to other rival bands of the time, obscure eighties songs and a huge array of artists he'd never even heard of. "You seem to have every thing else so why nothing by them?"

"My daughter was a _massive_ fan of theirs." The balding man started to explain his reason. "It broke her heart when the band split and she smashed all their records, - her collection and mine, - during a burst of her distraught behaviour…"

_Yeah right, like I'm supposed to believe that! _One of the CEO's eyebrows rose sceptically from hearing such a tale.

"… Of course she didn't know at the time that they would reform a decade later …"

"So why not upgrade your collection to another format and re-buy their music?" There was a strong sense of irritation present in his tone. The only thing he'd been set on having his way for their big day and here he was being denied it all because some middle-age guy didn't keep up with the times.

"You should know by now that Wales is way behind the rest of civilisation." Jack joked. Neither his friend nor the DJ was amused with his humour. "Just pick something else to dance to Seto."

"Easier said than done." The groom snorted. He didn't favour much music from days gone by, - at least not what was currently on offer anyway, - and the song he had picked he felt best described his feelings. So what now that he was forced to make another rushed decision over his choice?

"_Helô?!"_ Rhys called out as he and the rest of the wedding guests appeared in the club's doorway. "Anybody there?"

"Ah Rhys, do come in dear." The plumpish old woman, - Dyllis, - who Gwen had been talking to a moment ago welcomed him.

Everyone standing in the entrance way shuffled forward into the hall.

"This is so weird." Tea told her two friends as she took in the brightly colour decorated social club were they stood making up the back of the small crowd in the doorway.

"I completely agree." Yugi nodded his head timidly. "Who would have thought that we'd find ourselves invited to Seto Kaiba's wedding?"

"I meant the whole set up." She expanded a little. "It's just so … un-Kaiba-like; not what I would have expected at all."

"Am I the only one of us who finds the whole idea of him getting hitched in the first place a mind bender?" Joey was still struggling to grasp the reality of the occasion.

"Why would that be considered as a mind-bending concept?" Ianto asked, overhearing the conversation as he entered the building after settling up the costs of the hired transport. He hadn't been properly introduced to them yet but guessed that they were the Mutt, Cheerleader and King of Games whom Seto had reminisced to him once or twice about.

"Because the Kaiba we know _doesn't _seem like the kind of person who would be able to get along with _anyone_ at all." The blonde sneered back at the 'supposed' best man. _How much has Kaiba paid this guy to play the role?_ "Back in high school he, - and that older brother of his, - was a complete douche, shallow, self-centred, so why would any woman wanna marry that? The only reason I can think of is 'money'… " Tea elbowed him hard to stop him from continuing with his bitter rant.

A haughty smirk, - the kind he'd told himself the day before that he would never do again, - crossed Ianto's face as he spoke back to Joey. "If that's the way you consider people, based off a phase of behaviour from their youth, then maybe it's not Seto who's the shallow one."

The three friends stared at the Welshman with stunned faces as he walked away from them and made his way across the room to join the two men rapidly flipping through boxes of vinyl records. A quick glimpse to his right caught sight of Gwen and Kisara as they prepared the head table, Mokuba and Rebecca were also close by as they fed buffet food to their two sons. He became thankful that the younger Kaiba brother had managed to make it in time to take back the role of best man since he still hadn't managed to finalise or even draft a speech for the occasion.

The DJ didn't seem to notice as the young Welshman appeared near his turntable. "Jack quick, call that doctor of yours, we've somehow gone back in time!" Ianto tried to be witty with his exclamation relating to the outdated music medium but failed to get any kind of reaction from his lover or the groom. He cleared his throat and became serious again. "Everybody's here, ready when you are."

Still no response.

"Am I invisible, again?"

"No, no, we're just a little busy trying to find some kind of romantic song for Seto." Jack mumbled as he casually fingered each record sleeve forward in the cardboard boxes. "His choice for first dance is a no-go and he's having trouble making another decision."

"How can I make a decision when there are no songs that I feel are acceptable to choose from?" Seto grumbled through clenched teeth. He'd spent a lot of time to come up with his original choice, thinking carefully to find the right song that expressed his inner self to his bride. This was not something to be rushed or taken idly.

"Seto!" Kisara shouted from the head table and gestured for him to come to her.

"Be there in a sec." He shouted back with a smile which fell the instant he turned back to his two friends. "Aw crap, what am I supposed to do now?"

"Leave it to me." Ianto insisted. "I reckon that I can come up with something."

"Thanks." Seto smiled and clasped his younger friend on the shoulder. "I knew that I'd made the right choice by keeping you on as best man …"

"P-pardon?" The Welshman stuttered as he tried to mask his surprised horror from hearing that he was to continue the role. "W-what about Mokuba?"

"I had a quick word with Mokie earlier and he understands why I'd prefer you to make the speech in a little while. First of all there's the fact that you had to string one together with such short notice, - don't want that to go the waste now do we? - but most importantly, I should have asked you from the start."

Ianto didn't have the heart to argue back that he hadn't come up with a speech yet. There was a very distinct tone to his friend's voice, one that was only used whenever he was being completely and utterly sincere. He didn't want to ruin the rare moment as he heard the groom continue.

"Mokuba, he's my brother, so he'll always know me to a further certain extent than anyone else. His loyalties and affections for me were sown at birth, and over the years they flourished to form the brotherly bond that we have, whereas you've had no such luxury and had to tolerate me until the point were I accepted you into my life. I never asked for you to be my friend…" Seto paused as he caught sight of Jack who was miming himself gagging from the things he was speaking to the Welshman. This was actually the reason why he, - or any man for that matter, - never spoke raw emotion around other people so to avoid failing victim to such mockery.

"Jack's pretending to retch, isn't he?" Ianto asked as the silence continued for longer than it took the time for his friend to draw breath. "Look, it's okay, I get what you're saying, - I'm touched, - so you just head over to Kisara, and I'll sort this."

"Thanks Yan."

The Welshman watched his friend stride away before turning to flick through the box of vinyl records whilst trying to mentally compose the speech expected from him in a short while.

"Got your speech ready?" The captain asked cheerfully as he attempted to start conversation with his lover who hadn't acknowledged him since their friend had left them.

"Have I _fuck_!" Ianto snorted.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll think of something." Jack smirked in return as he watched the names of the artists on the cover sleeves flash by. "You're pretty good when it comes to things like … Hey!" He reached out, took hold of the Boyzone LP that had caught his attention and waved it at the DJ. "I thought you said that your collection only went up to the mid nineties?"

"It does." The DJ confirmed. "That's a special purchase I had made to order. Got a Westlife one too, I'd be silly not to since they're both popular amongst the karaoke crowds and dancing groups …"

"Ha!" Ianto laughed as he read the back of the cover he held in his hand. "They're all instrumentals, no vocals what so ever."

"What?!" Jack exclaimed in horror. "You can't have songs like these without lyrics!"

"_Don't_ you even _dare_ suggest getting a singsong going!" The Welshman warned. "You know how Seto feels about that, and besides it's his big day, so don't ruin it more than what it already is."

"Okay, I won't encourage people to sing their hearts out." The captain pouted disappointedly before a grin replaced the sulky frown. "I'll sing all the songs instead and be a wedding singer for the day."

"It's your funeral." Ianto smirked and then as an afterthought added, "Again." He fumbled at the record in his hand once last indecisive time and then handed it to his lover. "Here, use this for the opening dance."

The older man took the song choice that had been made and grimaced slightly. "Unchained Melody? That's a little bland isn't it?"

"It's a classic." The choice of song was argued in defence. "The romantic aspect of it will satisfy Kisara's expectation of her husband's 'supposed' choice, and the extremely slow pace of the music will no doubt be a winner with Seto as it means there'll be very minimum dancing involved."

Jack admitted defeat by agreeing with his lover and aimlessly tried to place the LP he had picked out back into the box from where it had come. In doing so the box fell to the floor and its contents spread everywhere. "Oops!" He winced.

"You better not have broken any." The DJ scolded the captain. "If you have then you'll be replacing them."

With a sigh, Jack crouched down to gather the mess created by the vinyl records.

"Here, let me help." Ianto insisted.

"It's okay, I got it. You go over to Seto and Kisara, hand over their proper rings and work on that speech."

"What rings?" The Welshman asked.

"You _did_ pick up their actual rings from my office before coming here right?"

Ianto bit his tongue and took a deep breath before answering but failed to keep his annoyance from his hushed voice. "No." Why didn't his lover think to pick them up himself when he went to retrieve the SUV instead of assuming that he would? "I wasn't asked or told to."

"Since when do I need to ask or tell you to do things?" Jack retorted with a handful of records in his grasp. "You usually do them instinctively…"

"For fuck's sake Jack, I'm not a mind reader!" The Welshman hissed bitterly and was met with a stunned expression from the older man for his outburst of anger. "If you want me to do something, ask me. Tell me. Don't keep on taking me for granted like you have been doing. And you've been doing it for quite some time now." His moment of anger passed as he took another deep breath and then continued to speak to the emotionless looking face staring back at him. "Let's get these bloody speeches over with and then I'll go back to the hub for the rings. Knowing what you're like with putting things in a 'safe spot', they've probably fallen down the back of your filing cabinet and joined that battered looking Flat Eric that you refuse to throw away." Without another word, he turned and began to make his way to the other side of the room.

"Ianto!" Jack called the other man back, but got no response. Now he knew that his lover was peeved with him, and quite rightly so. He would have been too if the shoe was on the other foot.

A huge wad of vinyls was placed back into the box and he carried on to retrieve some more. He knew that making an apology to the Welshman wouldn't be too much trouble, but how could he show just how committed and serious that he was about him? Well, there was _one_ way, though he was pretty sure that it wouldn't be appreciated at the current time and place. Maybe after the party before the atmosphere was completely lost?

The captain stood up again to place his second load into the box. As he stepped forward he heard a squeaking crack of the shiny black disc he had accidentally trodden on. _Crap! _Luckily he saw that the DJ hadn't noticed and quickly bent down to hide the evidence back in the sleeve which it belonged. _'UK's Eurovision Greatest Hits'; if you ask me, I think I've just done the world a favour._ He smirked to himself.

As Jack placed the last jagged sliver away, the nearby titles caught his eye. Thoughtfully he picked up two of them. One was by Sting and the Police, and the other was a Samba ballroom compilation. "Hey!" He shouted to catch the DJ's attention. "You can mix these on that turntable of yours, right?"

"Yeah, of course I can. Wouldn't be a very good piece of equipment if I couldn't."

"That's just what I wanted to hear." Jack was now grinning from ear to ear. The newly-wed's opening dance had just been reselected and was soon to undergo a Harkness style remix.

* * *

**A/N: Glad the fic is being enjoyed. Yeah, I agree in that the wedding has had more than its fair share of problems, but I'm kind of aiming for the outrageousness of it which is what I think makes this a fun, light-hearted, humorous break from the rest of the series. Although in saying that I've still been taking this _extremely_ seriously and close to heart, and there are a few things placed in there for future plot points. **

**Edited out is about four paragraphs worth of Take That ramblings which I kind of got carried away with. It didn't add anything to the story so had to go go go.  
**

**_"Am I invisible, again?"_ - The Torchwood novel 'Pack Animals' featured an invisible Ianto.**

**Seto's touching talk with Ianto is slightly edited and compressed as it was about twice as long originally. Even though Seto has opened up over the course of these fics I felt it was a far too OC thing for him to do. We're talking pure mush which would make you act in the same way that Jack did.**

**Edited out is a remark from the DJ as he describes a Boyzone song as 'a bit gay' and then proceeded to say some not so nice things about one of the band's members. Sadly the band member in question passed away last month, and although the scene served a purpose, I felt it would be disrespectful to have it included. (RIP Stephan Gately, never to be forgotten from my heart)**

**_" ... that battered looking Flat Eric that you refuse to throw away."_ - An abandoned fic idea of mine. Basically Ianto was cleaning Jack's office and found a rather battered and grubby looking yellow puppet named Flat Eric (don't know who/what he is? Off to google you go!) which for some reason Jack seems insistent on keeping. But why? It was to be a tale of Jack and Alex (nothing raunchy or anything like that going on between them, just Torchwood employee and boss) and their new toy (the SUV) Will I still write it? Hmm, maybe ...**

**And thank you Jack for breaking the Eurovision LP. (cringes at the thought of having to listen to any of those songs ever again)**

**KG**


	17. Chapter 17

**Thanks to darkdranzer and starwefter for leaving reviews :)**

**Ianto still has plenty of coffee and Welshcakes to go around for reviewers.  
**

**Chapter Seventeen**

"What are you smiling about?" Gwen asked her captain as he came bounding over to join the crowd gathering around the tables that had been positioned together.

"Wait and see." He flashed her a wink. "Wait and see."

At the head table, the happy couple sat next to each other, engaged in a hushed conversation and an exchange of kisses. Next to them, on Seto's left, Ianto stood pouring multiple glasses of champagne for all of the people present at the hijacked party. Jack wasn't sure if the slight frowning expression on his lover's face was a result from their little disagreement or the best man speech he would indubitably be composing inside his head.

"Hey." Jack greeted the three of them as he reached the table. He received acknowledging nods from all, even the Welshman who continued with his task. "Ready to get things under way?"

"About as ready as I'll ever be." Seto smirked. He wasn't looking forward to making a speech, - he did enough of that kind of thing at work, - and if it hadn't been customary for the men to do so, would have avoided them altogether as part of his wedding reception.

There was no reply or indication from Ianto as he now proceeded to hand out the glasses of champagne as he picked up a huge tray full of them and carefully made his way around the room.

"Cheers mate!" Rhys took a couple of the glasses from his fellow Welshman and handed one to his wife. "Here you go Love."

"Ta!" Gwen accepted the drink from her husband and felt a small hand tugging at her sleeve.

"Auntie Gwen, can I have some please?"

"No." She told Anathema who had chosen to stick with them and not her 'true' aunt and uncle. "Your Daddy would kill us if …"

"Here you go darling, try some of that." Rhys lowered his champagne flute down to the little girl.

"Rhys!?!" Gwen exclaimed horrified.

"What?" He seemed puzzled at his wife's reaction. "It's not going to do her any harm. She only wants a taste; I'm not going to let her have the whole glass. And anyway, I get the impression that Seto doesn't like me that much, so I'm perfectly happy to cop the blame if he wants to have a go."

"Yuk!" Anathema stuck out her tongue as the bubbles caused it to tingle. "That's disgusting!"

"See." Rhys smirked at Gwen. "She doesn't like it, so I haven't turned her into a young alcoholic." He looked back down to see the little green haired girl struggle to get the taste off her tongue, so pulled the bag of sweets from his pocket and handed them to her. "Have some sweets and you'll feel better."

"I can have all of them?"

"Why not! Like I said, I'm willing to take the blame."

Anathema beamed in an almost devious way. This strange Welshman was by far the easiest adult she had ever been able to play and successfully get her own way with. She liked him, - and the never ending supply of candy, - very much.

Ianto made his way around the room to distribute the champagne to the clumps of people. Most were complete strangers to him. He just left one small group of woman, one of whom had pinched his cheek, - _honestly, doesn't she have any sense of personal boundaries?_ - and next came to the group of three from his friend's past.

"Thank you." Yugi smiled politely as he took his drink, and was disappointed not to have heard his friends give their thanks. "That was rude of you two." He said once the Welshman was out of earshot.

"Yeah well, I don't like that guy." Joey stated his reason for his impoliteness.

"I guess you were right." Tea confessed as she watched the annoyingly cute guy, - would it be possible for her to get his number? - weave his way through the crowd. "He does seem to be nothing more than hired help. Even Kaiba wouldn't demote anyone he saw as his actual best man in such a way, would he?"

Yugi shook his head at his friends' behaviour but took comfort in the fact that if their attitudes had changed over the years, then most likely the CEO's had too.

"Sorry." Ianto apologised as the glasses he was carrying spilled over for the first time.

"You better be!" Naoko growled as she wiped off the drink from her ice blue coloured bridesmaid dress. "Have any idea how much this dress cost?"

"Nope." Ianto shot back. As he saw the woman about to open her mouth to launch into a rant, he swiftly added, "And to be honest, I don't care!" before making a quick getaway. He'd heard Seto complain about her on a number of occasions and didn't fancy sticking around to witness his friend's number one irritant for himself.

"A lady with expensive taste I see." Banana Boat commented as he stood there with a drink in each hand as he watched her brush down the shimmering fabric covering her chest. For a moment his mind wandered to imagine what lay concealed beneath the dress before he then tried to calculate just how many bootleg DVDs, - which Trading Standards had confiscated, so he was currently broke from absence of sales, - he'd have to sell just to be able to afford an inch of the outfit. He decided that the least amount of inches would be more pleasing on his eyes and grinned. "Means you're a classy chick." _Not like some of the mingers I've had in my time._

"Indeed." She agreed feeling repulsed by the snort of laughter that came from the bucktooth man. It seemed like she'd have to down many glasses of the celebration bubbly, - that she relieved from one of his hands, - in to make this guy bearable to get every last thing she wanted from him.

"Ubbles!!" Arthur and Noah shouted together at the sight of the fizzing champagne as Ianto finally managed to make his way over to the rest of his friend's family.

"Oh, I've got some different bubbles for you guys." He reached into his trouser pockets and produced two cylinder tubs of bubble blowing mixture for the toddlers. After having plenty of experience with his own nephew and niece, he knew just how hard it could be to keep young ones entertained for so long during such celebrations, which was why he had stopped by the local newsagents on the way to the venue. In his pocket there was also a tub for Anathema too, but he'd somehow missed her on his round so he'd have to hand them to her later.

The twins clapped their hands excitedly and Rebecca thanked the Welshman for being so thoughtful. "That should keep them occupied if they fail to fall asleep for their nap."

"Yeah, thanks Ianto." Mokuba added his appreciation also.

"No problem." He smiled and handed over the last two remaining flutes of champagne to the married couple. There had been a slight unenthusiastic tone to the other man's response, which was most likely due to the chaotic run-up to arriving for the wedding, but Ianto just wanted to make sure that there was no 'hard feelings' about him taking on the responsibility of best-man. "It was very considerate of you to let me continue with what should have been your role."

"It was Seto's choice really, one I'm kind of relieved about." A genuine smile was present on Mokuba's face as he spoke. "And you've go to admit that it looks better this way. Proves that he has actual friends, and not just some _loner_ whose only option was to ask his brother. Then there's the added bonus that I won't have to make a speech after all." He gave a little chuckle. "Can you believe that after all the months and delays leading up to today, and I still hadn't finalised anything decent enough to say about my own brother? Not that I can't think of something nice or funny to say, they were just never my strong point, and the fact that it's the one speech everyone has such high expectations for, kind of makes the whole thing somewhat daunting."

"I know just what you mean." Ianto tried not to let his disappointment show at not having been fought for the role opportunity.

"Oi, Ianto!" Jack's voice shouted over to him. "You done yet?"

He nodded with a forced smile and made his way back to the head table.

The captain wasn't fooled by the look on his lover's face, but the speeches couldn't be held off forever. He rose to his feet with an empty glass in his hand and continuously struck it with a pen to gain everyone's attention.

Now that all eyes were on him, Jack began his speech. "I'm told that the best speech makers follow three simple rules. Stand Up. Speak Up. Shut Up." He grinned as he listened to the faint murmur of laughter he'd received. "I'm not normally one for following rules, - unless they're my own, - but I think on this occasion it would be an extremely wise thing to do.

"We're all here today to celebrate the wedding of Seto and Kisara." There was a slight pause as Jack realised that his prepared speech now needed an alteration or two. "At least some of us are, the rest of you kinda drew the short straw and were forced into being here. So for those of you not in the know, I'm only acting as the part of father of the bride to this beautiful woman sat down beside me, and am deeply honoured to be doing so." He smiled proudly.

"I may have only known Kisara for the same amount of time since she entered into my friend's life, but let me tell you that she is an _amazing _woman." Indeed he wished that he could tell each of them that they owed her their life, as she had been involved in saving them from the Daleks' who had once stolen the planet from the solar system, and threatened to exterminate all life from existence. But of course he wasn't allowed to utter a word about it. "Thoughtful, compassionate, faithful, everything a man could possibly desire of a woman to spend his future with. And they will spend the rest of their lives together, for they are true sweethearts."

"Aww." The crowd cooed at the captain's words as he raised his glass of champagne and watched the happy couple share a kiss.

"A toast to sweethearts!" Jack's eyes momentarily wandered to his sweetheart. "May all sweethearts become married couples, and may all married couples remain sweethearts."

Glasses clinked and people cheered before they took a sip of their drinks.

With his short-but-sweet speech finished, Jack sat down and Kisara leaned over to plant a kiss on his cheek.

Now it was Seto's turn. He stood and addressed the room full of almost complete strangers. "Let me start by thanking you all for being here. To my guests who have had a somewhat hectic journey in being able to make it, and to the attendees of the Women's Institute who very kindly agreed to let us override their celebration event due to a complication with our own…"

"Well that explains the party set-up." Tea whispered to her friends as they stood as part of the crowd.

"Notice how he didn't even acknowledge the three of us in his comments just then?" Joey sneered.

"Didn't you ever consider that he might have us included as his guests?" Yugi asked quietly. "After all, he _did_ invite us to stick around."

"Shhh!" Dyllis, - who was stood near by, - hissed disapprovingly at the rudeness of the three friends that spoke amongst themselves whilst the groom was speaking. _How rude!_

"… so, thanks Jack." Seto had kept on with the momentum of his speech, unaware of the whispering that had taken place. "And of course, thank you to my beautiful wife for making me the happiest man in the world today." Now that his recognitions were done, he could fondly reminisce. "I waited a long time, most of my life in fact, to find Kisara. At one point my brothers were worried that I wouldn't find anyone to settle with and even joked about taking out a classifieds advertisement for me. Mokuba had suggested simply putting 'wife wanted' as the message, but Noah strongly opposed as I'd only be inundated with hundreds of married men offering me theirs."

A wave of laughter washed over the crowd and Seto tearfully smiled at the thought of his deceased step-brother. "Sadly, Noah can't be with us today. But before my big brother passed away, I knew that he was happy for me to have finally found the woman of my dreams, and would also approve of her undertaking the role of step-mother towards the young daughter he left behind, who we are now raising as our own."

There was silence for a moment. Mokuba watched his older brother moved by his own words about their step-brother before then continuing, "In my youth, I never used to believe in destiny. Even now I'm not one-hundred percent certain that it exists, but what I am more than certain about is that Kisara and I are meant to be together, until the end of our time."

Seto seated himself during the round of applause he received and sent his best man a glance. "They're all yours now."

"Thanks." Ianto muttered sarcastically as he rose to his feet. He stared out across the crowd in horror as his mind was blank with what to say. They were eagerly awaiting his speech and he didn't have a clue where to begin. _A joke. _He told himself. _Open with a joke. _

A pause while he thought of something relevant, and then cleared his throat before throwing himself out there. "The brain truly is a wonderful thing. From the moment of our birth, it never stops functioning. That is until the moment you stand up to make a speech."

Laughter. That was a good sign. Maybe he could pull this off after all?

"Hi." He smiled, trying to hide the remaining negative doubt that he had. "For those of you who don't know me, my name is Ianto Jones and I've been a friend of Seto's for going on the past couple of years now. To some of you this may not sound like much of a big deal, but to the two of us, - men who are both willing to go out of the way to make sure that very few people ever get that close to know us, - well, I assure you that it is a _very_ big deal indeed.

"So what can I tell you about Seto's life?" Indeed, what could he tell? Most of what he had been told by his friend had been done so in confidence, and he never spoke about such things beyond the trust that had been placed in him. Also a lot of the time that they had bonded in person had been working together as part of Torchwood which was also a no-go area to speak of. There wasn't really much else left, so why hadn't Seto gone along with Mokuba stepping back into the role to make an insightful speech? They'd grown up together so they'd be lots of stories to share.

"Well, for one thing I can tell you that, contrary to what some people believe," Ianto glared directly at the blonde haired man who he hadn't gotten off to a good start with. "… his life hasn't been all smooth sailing. There have been plenty of obstacles hampering his path in the past, and he's always managed to overcome them one way or another, - the past 36 hours being no exception, - and it's something I know he will continue to succeed in doing so in the future.

"And as a person, - a man whom I am proud to call my friend, - Seto has a heart of gold. Sometimes his intentions may be misinterpreted, but he's a man of honour and loyalty who will do whatever it takes to provide and care for those closest and dearest to him." Right that was the serious part taken care of, now for a funny and/or embarrassing story.

_You sneaky bastard! _The penny had dropped inside the Welshman's head. "I'm sorry ladies and gentleman, but if it's an amusing story you're waiting for, then I have none I'm afraid." He grinned in the hope that his face hadn't given away his thoughts. A quick glance to his right saw a rather smug looking Seto, satisfied with the knowledge that apart from the couple of Torchwood related instances, he had no thwarting tales to tell. _That was why you chose me instead of Mokuba._

"Seto is the type of man who takes great pride in his public image and makes every effort to not be caught out in such an undignified way." Ianto went on with no doubt that his improvised speech had been dull and unmemorable.

"Oh I don't know." Jack smirked after sensing the crushed feeling his lover had. "I heard that he got up to a few embarrassing things last night. Too bad we missed them though."

The smirk on Seto's face grew wider as he knew that neither of his friends had been there to witness his drunken state, so he was safe with not having the instance re-told to the room full of people.

The captain gave a heavy, dramatic and wistful sigh. "If only someone had taken photos." He shot a mischievous look towards Ianto.

_Ah! _The Welshman got the hint, and although he was a little unsure whether on not to go ahead with the next move, he somehow felt that the groom deserved it as jesting payback. He reached inside his jacket and pulled out the envelope that Jack had given him back at the Wales Millennium Centre. The two snapshots were removed from inside the envelope and after a quick examination of their images, one was passed to a nearby middle aged woman. "Could you circulate this please ma'am?"

The woman obliged with a grin as she passed it to her friend, and Ianto spoke to the crowd once more. "I have it in good faith that the image you are about to see was taken during the early hours of this morning." He turned to Kisara and handed her the remaining photo. "I think this one is intended for the bride's eyes only."

_What the…?_ Seto was shocked by what was happening as he watched his wife purse her lips together and hold the photo's image close to her. "Let me see?"

She shook her head at first, but when he asked her again, Kisara carefully lifted the photo for her husband to see.

_NO!_ Seto's eyes widened in horror as he saw the completely naked image of himself chained to the metal railings of the Hayes. His eyes flashed dangerously at the captain who was laughing freely at his reaction and then up at his standing best man.

"Don't worry, the other one is censored." Ianto couldn't help but smirk at the mixed furious and terrified stare of his friend.

"Humph, 'Big Issue' indeed." Joey's loud sneer was clearly heard as he looked at the photo before passing it on to the next person.

"Don't be so cynical." Rhys piped up with a wicked grin. "I've seen it and it ain't a lie."

Gwen's eyes bulged momentarily at hearing her husband's statement and she knew she'd spent too much time around her boss, as her mind whirled in the smut department.

_Someone's going to pay for this! _Seto's mind growled as he saw several strange middle-aged women, who'd just viewed the photo, wink at him. His skin shivered with displeasure from their flirtatious gesture and his head sank into his hand with embarrassment. If he hadn't been so mortified, then he would have been plotting multiple gruesome ways to end the captain's life for having the images taken and printed out.

When the circulating photo found its way back to the head table, it joined the other one that Kisara had a hold of. Both of them would never be seen by anyone else but her from then on. Seto slowly left the cover of his shielding hand.

_Time to bring this to an end._ Ianto smirked, pleased with himself in that he hadn't let down anyone's, - Seto's didn't count, - expectations of him. "Ladies and gentlemen. Please could you all stand, raise your glasses, and join me in wishing the happy couple all the love and happiness that their future holds."

"To Seto and Kisara!" The room cheered as one and the drinks were downed soon after.

Jack placed his empty champagne glass down on the table and excitedly rubbed his hands together. "Dance time!" He darted off towards the stage and after a brief check with the DJ, took his position behind the microphone.

Seto turned to Ianto for explanations. "The DJ's record collection is all instrumental so Jack decided he wanted to play wedding singer for the occasion." He was told by the Welshman.

"Aww, that's so thoughtful of him." Kisara smiled as she began to drag her husband towards the dance floor.

"He better not expect me to sing." Seto grumbled in response before he mouthed to his best man, 'What song did you pick?'

'Unchained Melody' Ianto mouthed back.

Seto was quite pleased with his friend's choice of song for the opening dance which would be watched by all of the party's attendees. Why hadn't he thought of that as the song replacement himself? It was quite meaningful to them and a slow tune which meant minimal dancing required.

He took Kisara in his arms when they reached the dance floor and waited for the music and singing to start. "What did you pick Seto?" She asked excitedly as they waited and the crowd gathered but left the floor clear for the couple to move freely.

"Something I know you'll like." He smiled back and saw the captain re-position the microphone ready to sing. _Here we go._

The notes of the piano and beat of the samba music that thumped out of the DJ's sound system was not what the groom expected at all. Feeling betrayed by his two friends for a second time, he glanced at Ianto who looked just as taken aback as him, so then knew it had to be all Jack's doing. _Just wait until I get you alone Harkness!_

"_Though I've tried before to tell her, of the feelings I have for her in my heart …"_

Not wanting to seem like a complete idiot by just standing there bemused, Seto lead his wife through a routine similar to the one he had paid to learn a few months earlier, and she followed him.

"… _Every little thing she does is magic. Everything she does just turns me on. Even though my life before was tragic. Now I know my love for her goes on."_

Ianto stood horrified with his head in his hands. What the hell was his lover playing at?

"_Do I have to tell the story, of a thousand rainy days since we first met …"_

All of Seto's attention was focused on his moves to the rhythm of the two mixed tracks and silently he prayed that he wouldn't mess up by standing on Kisara's toes or the added hazard that was the long flowing wedding dress she wore.

"… _Every little thing she does is magic. Everything she does just turns me on. Even though my life before was tragic. Now I know my love for her goes on."_

The onlookers were hugely impressed by the unusual choice of opening wedding dance. Most that they had witnessed before were slow, swaying and effortless numbers. Usually to that horrendous Bryan Adams song, but nothing like this. Who would have thought to mix two unlikely things together? Brilliant!

"_I resolve to call her up a thousand times a day, and ask her if she'll marry me in some old fashioned way. But my silent fears have gripped me, long before I reach the phone. Long before my tongue has tripped me. Must I always be alone? …"_

"Wow, look at them go!" Tea watched the couple twirl across the dance floor with style, elegance and grace. She turned to Yugi, "You may be able to beat him at Duel Monsters, but he wipes the floor with you at ballroom dancing."

"I can do that." Yugi stated defensively. "I just choose not too." In fact he hated being forced into dancing with his childhood friend.

"Don't worry Yuuge, it's just Moneybags showing off, you know what he's like." Joey assured also feeling slightly envious of the other man's abilities.

"… _Even though my life before was tragic. Now I know my love for her goes on." _Jack was coming to the end of the song and had guiltily enjoyed every minute of watching his friend forced to play along with his chosen performance. _"Every little thing she does is magic!"_

The crowd clapped as the dancing came to an end with a big dramatic finish as Seto held on to Kisara who had thrown herself back from him. His breathing was now in harsh pants as he had been so focused on the moves that he had forgotten to breathe in the correct manner which he'd been taught to do so whilst dancing. _You're a dead man Harkness!_ He glared towards his smug looking friend on the stage before he caught his wife as she came back up from her finishing pose.

"Oh Seto, that was truly wonderful!" She laughed and hugged him tightly. "I must admit that I thought you may have gone for something slow and romantic, - you know like Unchained Melody, - just so that you wouldn't have to move much, but no, you completely took me by surprise with actually dancing, - and the samba at that! - since you know how much I love it." Her grip tightened even more with her show of appreciation. "Thank you."

"Think nothing of it." He laughed nervously through panting gasps and realised that he'd been so obsessed with wanting not to dance at all, that he'd forgotten it actually made his bride happier when he shared, - even though it was pretend, - her passion for it. And at the end of it all, especially since he'd upset her time after time with the wedding's setback dates, Kisara's happiness is what he wanted most. Maybe he owed Jack a special 'thank you' for making him realise that?

"Okay people, now let's get this party _really_ started!" Jack shouted excitedly into the microphone as the next song began to play. _"Tonight's the night we're gonna make it happen. Tonight we'll put all other things aside …"_

Feeling exhausted from their first dance, Seto suggested that maybe he should sit the next one out. Kisara agreed and they both headed to the bar for refreshments passing Ianto along the way. "Want to join us for a drink Yan?"

"Maybe later." The Welshman smiled as he politely declined the invitation from his friend and was still quite surprised that Seto hadn't started a heated scene over the song choice his lover had chosen behind his back. "I've got an errand I need to do first."

"Okay. Later then." They both waved him goodbye.

He watched them wander off to join Mokuba and Rebecca as they cleaned up the food covered twins, and after a quick glance over at Jack, -would he even notice once he'd gone? - he left to return to the hub whilst the party continued without him.

"… _And if you move real slow I'll let it go."_ No, Jack hadn't noticed his lover leave. He was having way too much fun on centre stage to notice such a trivial thing. _"I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it. I'm about to lose control and I think I like it…"_

* * *

**A/N: The strange woman who knows no personal boundaries and pinches Ianto's cheek - Please tell me that we all know someone like this an that my mother-in-law isn't just an exception? Boy do I have a horror story about when she came at me with a bottle of TCP when I first started dating my husband. **

**I'm never writing another wedding speech, _EVER! _They were hard to do and condense down to what you see in this chapter. And do you see how Seto thought he'd escape any embarrassment? Luckily Jack was one step ahead ;)**

**_" ... that horrendous Bryan Adams song."_ - We all know the one right? lol. In the Torchwood audio book 'In the Shadows' Jack hates the song so much that he shoots himself after Gwen dedicates it to him whilst he's trapped in his own little version of Hell.**

**Jack's songs in this chapter are: "Every Little Thing She does is Magic" and "I'm so Excited". I love hearing John Barrowman sing these :)**

**KG**

* * *

**KG: (busy typing away on laptop)**

**Ianto: So, aren't you going to take notice of starwefter's warning about Seto?**

**KG: Nope, I've put him through crap before and I'm still here to tell more tales.**

**(silence)**

**Ianto: Have you locked up your MLPs or counted them recently?**

**KG: No, why?**

**Ianto: Well, it's just that I saw Seto heading that way ...**

**KG: WHAT!?! (stops typing) Do you think he'd do something to my collection?**

**Ianto: (smiles) Don't worry, I moved the box containing your Peachy army so at least they will be safe.**

**KG: (facepalm) You saved a box of common ponies, - the same common pony, - in case Seto does intend on trashing them, but didn't think about rescuing my high value ones?!**

**Ianto: Oops!**

**KG: (runs off to rescue toys from being destroyed) Seto! Don't you dare touch my ponies!!**

**Ianto: (now left alone with KG's laptop, whistles innocently as he deletes the Jack x Donna fic she was working on) Oops again.  
**


	18. Chapter 18

**Let's try and get back to updating on a regular basis now shall we?**

**I still don't own the shows' copyrights or make a single penny from indulging in fanfiction. **

**Chapter Eighteen**

"… _No one could ever know me. No one could ever see me. Seems like you're the only one who knows, what it's like to be me. Someone to face the day with. Make it through all the rest with. Someone I'll always laugh with. Even at my worst, I'm best with you…" _

"Someone's enjoying himself." Rhys grinned as he stood next to the groom at the bar and commented on the captain still singing his heart out on stage.

_Why is he still standing there?_ Seto's mind groaned at his friend's husband acting like they were friends themselves by trying to start a conversation.

The twins had grown bored and were quickly becoming aggravated, so his brother and sister-in-law had decided to take them, and Anathema, outside the social club to keep all three occupied with blowing bubbles. Not long after that, Kisara had urgently insisted that she use the bathroom, and with Naoko nowhere to be seen, had asked Gwen to accompany her to help assist with the dress she wore. And that was how Seto had come to find himself stuck with the annoying Welshman beside him.

The CEO groaned inwardly once more. Ideally he'd opt to stand alone, something he knew would be impossible during the party that celebrated his big day, so would rather be stood conversing with anyone else instead of Rhys; even the group of woman who had given him the cringe-worthy stares during the photo pass-a-round. One of the women caught his eye from across the room and he shivered again from seeing her wrinkled flirtatious pout. Okay, maybe he'd been exaggerating a bit, but there had to be someone? He heard laughter to his right and turned to see Yugi, Tea and Joey gathered to one side. _They'll do!_

Placing his empty glass down on the bar and giving an inaudible farewell grunt which he knew the Welshman wouldn't have appreciated even if he had had managed to hear him properly, Seto made his way over to his old classmates.

"… '_Cause you're there for me too." _Jack came to the end of his song and took a small pause to gulp back some water to re-hydrate himself before launching into the next track.

Around twenty or so strides later, - though with his heart thumping in his chest it seemed like over a mile, - the groom came to a stand-still in front of the group of friends he hadn't seen for many years. _Now what?_

"What'd you want, moneybags?" Joey sneered as he eyed Seto who just stood there silently before them. "Come to gloat abou … ow!" He rubbed his arm where Tea forcefully struck him.

"What Joey's trying to say, is that it was very kind of you to invite us along here on your very special day …"

"Save it Yugi, you don't need to make excuses for him." Seto found his rather dry and unusually nervously tongue. He'd spoken to these geeks many times before so why was it a seemingly hard task to perform now? And why did he feel the need to avoid what would otherwise be a confrontational stare-out with Wheeler who continued to eye him warily?

An awkward silence set in between them as Jack's vocals now sang along to the Billy Joel song across the hall from them. _"Uptown girl. She's been living in her uptown world. I bet she's never had a backstreet guy. I bet her momma never told her why…"_

"Congratulations." It was Yugi who broke the uncomfortable situation. "To both you and your bride."

Seto knew that he should say something in reply but was still having trouble finding his voice. _If I had known it would be this nerve-racking talking to these guys after all these years, then I might have stayed at the bar with that idiot Rhys. _

"She's really nice." Tea added and then spoke about her brief encounter with Kisara back at the theatre house. All the while that she talked, she was met with a slightly surprised but focused, - listening to each word spoken, she noted, - look on the groom's face. She gave a genuine warm smile. He'd never once shown her any courtesy back in their youth and was pleasantly surprised to have received it now.

Joey now found himself with the eyes of his two friends staring at him, prompting and waiting for him to say something nice to the jerk from their teenage years. "Yeah, what they said." He muttered only to receive two scowls that told him he should try harder. Giving in to their looks, - _only partially_, he told himself, - he added, "You're a lucky guy Kaiba."

"Thanks." Seto was kind of amazed at how civil that they were behaving towards him, especially after the way he'd treated them in the past. But then again, they were all grown adults now. It was then he realised that he knew nothing about what each of them had made of themselves since high school, and not wanting to return to the awkward stillness, he asked them.

"Hasn't Mokuba told you?" Tea asked curiously.

"No." Seto replied before adding, "And after the way I treated you all back then, I'm not surprised that he felt the need to keep the friendship you maintained from me; though I highly suspected you had, so it wasn't completely secret. You and he did get along quite well. Why lose that connection because of me, even if he thought I would disapprove of you staying in touch with each other?"

Yugi smiled. '_… after the way I treated you all back then …?… he thought I would disapprove …?' _Was that Seto's why of saying that he would have liked to have stayed in touch himself? He knew the other man would have been too proud to admit it and ask them back then, so was he trying to ask them now and that's why they'd been told to stay and attend the wedding? Or had he purely been respecting their presence for his brother's benefit? He continued to inform his old rival of what he had done during that timeframe which had been questioned about. "Well, I went on to college and followed in my grandpa's footsteps to become an Egyptologist. I've helped to uncover many of the recently discovered wonders in the Valley of the Kings and occasionally give lectures to archaeology students all over the world; one of the best in my line of work, or so I'm told. At the moment I'm taking some time out to travel and show support for Tea on her world tour."

"World tour?" Seto questioned and was feeling slightly more at ease around the three friends now that the conversation had begun to flow between them.

"Uh-huh." Tea nodded. "I chased my dream of becoming a dancer, successfully made it a reality and now have my own dance group who are currently performing Swan Lake at the Wales Millennium Centre." She laughed a little. "It felt like such an unreal coincidence when Mokuba informed us that we'd be here in Cardiff at the same time as your ceremony."

"I bet it did." Seto mused nervously as he mimicked the woman's show of laughter. He sensed silence about to creep back so kept the conversation going which now seemed to flow more naturally from his lips. "So, you two finally got it together?"

"No!" Both Yugi and Tea exclaimed as one, taking the CEO by surprise. He may have been a bit of a moron towards them in their youth but he wasn't blind and had seen the closeness and admirably they'd both had towards each other. If he'd been asked by Domino High's yearbook committee, which two students were likely to spend the rest of their lives together, he would have chosen them. Not that he would have provided the answer as he'd refused to be interviewed by the school's committee anyway; he'd had far better things to occupy his precious time.

"No." Yugi repeated again and then cleared his throat before he next spoke. "That one kind of passed us by." There was a sadness to his voice. "You know how it is, trying to establish one's career and all. Conflicting schedules, vast distances between the two of us most of the time; it all makes for holding down a relationship rather difficult." He'd been infatuated over Tea since they were both very young, - and still was, - but the last thing he wanted to do was ruin her changes of fame and stardom by adding extra strain to prevent her from accomplishing that, so kept his feelings to himself.

"Not to mention that finding somewhere where we could both permanently settle down together would be damn near impossible." Tea added with a jesting tone to her voice and faint flush in her cheeks. In the months that followed after Atem's departure, she discovered that the thoughts and feelings she believed to have had for the pharaoh wouldn't go away as they continued to linger and grow for her childhood friend. Of course she hadn't _properly _spoken of her feelings for Yugi, - just in case he felt like she was only using him as a 'second best' option for his absent Yami, - but the pair of them were aware of the fondness they held for each other.

Seto watched the two friends fidget in a slight uncomfortable manner at having raised the touchy subject but failed to empathise with them. If neither one of them was brave enough to make the first move and sacrifice, then did they really deserve to be with each other? He felt the need to move on from what he had been told and turned to the blonde. "And what about you?"

There was no attempt at a reply made, just a heated glare at the groom; something which Seto had been expecting since neither of them had gotten along well with each other in the past. But that was then and this was now, so surely the other man had matured beyond such childish behaviour? He hoped that his next push for information wouldn't be taken as a taunt. "How's life been treating Joey Wheeler?"

"What's it to you?" Joey sneered clearly receiving the innocent question in the wrong manner. "Wanna hear how completely washed-up my life's become, just to make you feel even more successful with your own? Why I failed to go on to college? How I let myself be run into a mountain of debt? All so you can gloat even more about your marriage here today when mine's ruined and fallen apart beyond repair?..."

"I think that's enough." Yugi cut in and tried to calm down the friend whose voice had risen dramatically with each scornful comment that had been made. "Kaiba was just asking …"

"And I'm just telling!"

"Yelling more like." Tea retorted. "If you keep this up then you'll only draw more attention to yourself."

Joey looked around. Indeed his friend was right as people were already beginning to stare in his direction. He was sure he could hear whispers soon follow. Even the pearly white grinning man on the stage seemed to have taken the time between changing from one tune to another to pay him a glance before bursting back out into song, - _"My my, at Waterloo Napoleon did surrender …"_, - But as the crowd returned to focus on the vocalist once more, the blonde began to assume that maybe he'd let himself become too wound up over everything that was going on in his life at that moment. Was he becoming foolishly paranoid? If that was the case then he owed an apology to those whom he had snapped at, including Kaiba.

"Look Wheeler, I really didn't intend to …"

"Whoa!" Joey held up a hand to stop the CEO in his tracks. Did Kaiba intend to apologise to him first? That seemed an unlikely thing for the guy from his past to willing want to do; especially to him. Perhaps he had changed?

A suppressed ironic snicker was held back by the blonde as he thought about the role reversal between them both and how it had happened. _This isn't how things should be! _Finally, after months of denying any change in his attitude, he came to the conclusion that Mai may have taken his heart and destroyed it beyond recognition, but he would never let her have the satisfaction of having altered him from the person he knew he was. If the other man had transformed himself into a civil human being then he would acknowledge that in return.

"Hold on there Kaiba." Whether it was genuine or just a result of his private thoughts, it was hard tell, but either way a smile was now present on the blonde's face. "As much as I'd like to hear you apologise, there's just something too surreal about the possibility of it ever happening. How about we just let bygones be bygones?" Under the watch of three pairs of stunned eyes, he extended a hand towards the man he'd been opposing since almost as far back as he could remember. "Everybody deserves a second chance, right?"

Joey's unexpected changed point of view surprised Seto completely but still caused a small flicker of joy at the thought of being allowed to build the friendship that he had purposely rejected in his youth. Warily, he shook the hand offered to him; it always paid to be cautious when something seemed too good to be true.

"Well there's something I never thought I'd see!" Yugi laughed as he watched the two men locked in handshake.

"Me neither." Seto laughed weakly as their hands parted. He'd had his reasons to keep people from him in order to spare them any harm from his stepfather's hand. Quite quickly he'd found out that arrogance worked best to put off most people, but now, step by step, he was at last getting the kind of life he'd originally wanted.

Kisara reappeared by her husband's side and it didn't take long before she was properly introduced to the group she'd previously met earlier that day. And as the five of them continued to merrily chat away, Jack came to the end of his song._ "… Finally facing my Waterloo."_

88888888888888888888

_One-two-three-four, one-two-three-four, one-two-three-four, one-two-three-four…. _

Impatiently Seto drummed his fingers on the bar top whilst he waited for his drinks to arrive. The rhythm matched the silent tune inside his head and not that of the Captain's current choice of song.

"… _Try to go, but it won't let you. Don't you know it's out to get you, running; keep on running. They're running after you babe …" _

Forgetting that it had been stolen during the disastrous night before, he went to check his watch.

"Hey Seto!" Rebecca greeted as she joined him beside the almost empty bar. She knew what the disgusted look on her brother-in-law's face meant as she watched him reposition his sleeve back over his wrist and dared to ask, "How long have they kept you waiting?"

"Too long." He muttered in reply. "Apparently the staff are changing a barrel in the basement."

"All four of them?"

"Yup." He breathed tiredly. "Trust them to decide to slack off when it's my turn to purchase the round of drinks."

"A round for whom?" She asked curiously.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Seto grinned and tilted his head to gesture to where his bride and newly made friends, - engaged in conversation, - now seated at one of the tables at the side of the room.

"About time." Rebecca chuckled. She received a kind of half hearted smile in return but nothing more as silence settled between them and instead turned her attention to Jack on stage.

"… _Run for the sun, little one. You're an outlaw once again; time to change, Superman, will be with us while he can. In the land of make believe …"_

Seto glanced sideways at his brother's wife. Everybody's attention was focused elsewhere so he contemplating asking about recruiting her to his Torchwood team once they returned back to Domino. Would Jack really ask her if he didn't? He had to do it sooner or later, "Becky?"

She turned her head to face him. "Yes Seto?"

For a second he reconsidered. Yes she would be extremely useful to his team with her exceptional technological knowledge, but at the same time he didn't want her placed into any of the danger that being a part of the institute would surely bring. "I was wondering if …"

"So sorry to keep you guys waiting." A lone member of the bar staff approached them. "May I take your order please miss?"

"Three orange juices with straws please."

"Coming right up." The man walked away to carry out the order.

_Hey!_ Seto's mouth flapped open in outraged astonishment. All of the bar staff had seen him waiting before they disappeared so why was he still left waiting and his sister-in-law served before him? And why hadn't she insisted or acknowledged that he should be served before her? His annoyed glare turned on her.

"Sorry Seto." Rebecca laughed at the narrowed brows. "But I've got three thirsty kids outside and I'd rather face your wrath instead of theirs."

"Fair enough." He grumbled with a smirk before falling silent and listened to the fading tune of the song his friend had been singing.

"So," Rebecca edged a little closer to Seto. "What was it that you wanted to ask me?"

He felt his throat turn dry at the thought of having to continue the conversation he'd started as more doubts about recruiting people so close to him entered his mind. "It doesn't matter. Forget that I even mentioned …"

"It was about joining _your_ Torchwood wasn't it?"

Seto's eyes widened slightly and gave her a questioning stare as the bartender placed the three orange juices on the counter top before hurrying off to serve someone on the opposite side. He ignored the annoyance at having been skipped once again as he interrogated his brother's wife. "Who …? How did you …?"

"Jack told me."

Together they both took a quick glance and the man on stage singing his heart out again. _"Living on free food tickets. Water in the milk from a hole in the roof  
where the rain came through. What can you do?"  
_

"I'm going to kill him." The Seto muttered. "Repeatedly."_  
_

"And just what good is that going to do with helping you to recruit a team?" Rebecca asked.

"It'd make me feel better." Inside Seto was fuming with the older man. It was bad enough that at times Jack failed to see the irony of flaunting about the secrecy of the secret organisation, but the fact that he had gone behind his back and approached his sister-in-law about the whole thing just made it so much worse. He turned to Rebecca. "Who else did he tell?"

"No one." She assured. "He also made it pretty clear that you didn't want Mokuba and Kisara knowing what you plan to do, and the only reason he mentioned it all to me was because he knew you'd have second thoughts and most likely try to struggle to do things on your own."

There was silence for a moment and Seto cursed himself for having let someone so close to know him so well. Times may have been lonelier and more stress bearing for him to cope with before he'd befriended the captain, but at least he didn't have to worry about anyone trying to run his life for him. It was hard to keep away the curve tugging at the corners of his mouth. He was far too familiar with what it was that the older man was doing to him as he had done it so many times as he watched over Mokuba during his life. Jack was simply playing the part of older brother towards him.

A frustrated sigh escaped him before he next spoke to Rebecca. No matter how much his friend wanted to help him set up his own Torchwood team Seto would not be able to forgive himself if something were to happen to his sister-in-law. "Whatever he may have said to you …"

"Don't try to wrangle your way out of this Seto Kaiba; I'm joining your Torchwood team and that's final."

"No." He shook his head. "It's too dangerous."

"Dangerous for whom?" She questioned him. "You've witnessed first hand the kind of threats that Jack, his team and even the Doctor has to face to keep this world safe. If I can help make a difference to help protect innocent lives, - my children's lives, - from the likes of the Daleks then I would gladly put my own life on the line to do so. Jack's asked us …"

"You're not going to let this go without a fight are you?"

Rebecca shrugged. "Got to live up to the Kaiba name somehow haven't I?"

They smirked at each other and their stubbornness whilst Jack's voice was coming to the end of his song. _"Daddy's gonna buy you a dream to cling to, Mama's gonna love you just as much as she can … and she can."_

"Okay." Seto agreed. "But it's on my terms that you never leave the Hub for fieldwork. From there you can man all the technical things and case details to your heart's content."

"Deal!" Rebecca grinned and both of them shook hands before she then gathered up the drinks to take back outside to the three thirsty children.

"Now we've just got to come up with some kind of cover to stop Mokuba finding out about our Torchwood." Seto pondered out a loud.

"Oh I've got something in mind." She winked before leaving the bar. "But that'll have to wait until once we're back home."

He tried to think of what she had planned as he watched her leave and failed to hear Jack start another song. _"I'm too sexy for my love. Too sexy for my love; love's going to leave me…"  
_

The bartender broke Seto out of his thinking as he finally approached him. "Whatcha drinking?"

Although the temptation to sneer complaints about the poor service and length of time he'd been waiting, Seto bit it back. Too many things had been sent to try and test him over the past twenty-four hours and he was still determined to let nothing ruin his wedding day.

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**A/N: Jack's songs: "I'll be there for you", "Uptown Girl", "Waterloo", "The land of make believe", "Love of the common people", and "I'm too sexy" XD**

**The conversation between Seto, Yugi, Tea and Joey is horrible; I hate it so much as no matter what I tried there's just something that makes it too ... I dunno :/ If anyone can suggest a better way to word it but still have the same kind of outcome then feel free to let me know.**

**:)  
**

**KG  
**


	19. Chapter 19

**Big thanks to starwefter and lesnuitdhiver for leaving reviews :)  
**

**Chapter Nineteen **

Outside the heavens had opened, quickly sending the two adults and three children running back under the cover of the social club to escape the downpour. In the dance hall once more the twins and Anathema dragged Rebecca to a clearing were they all joined in dancing along to the music and sound of Jack's voice as he still belted out the songs, _"Saturday night, I feel the air is getting hot. Like you baby. I'll make you mine, you know I'll take you to the top. I'll drive you crazy …"_

After refusing point-blank that he would not join them on the dance floor, Mokuba stood to one side as he watched his family and several clusters of middle-aged women dancing a ridiculous routine that seemed to accompany the current song. His eyes narrowed on the captain; always wearing that huge grinning smile and generating so much lively energy.

"Hey Mokie!" Seto clasped his brother on the shoulder as he approached him from behind.

The younger brother jumped slightly in surprise and broke free from his stare. "Don't do that!" He hissed quietly.

"Do what?" The reply was shot back with a grin towards rolling eyes. He knew perfectly well that his brother didn't like being crept up on.

"… _Da ba da dan dee dee dee da dee da da da. Be my baby. Da ba da dan dee dee dee da dee da da da. Pretty baby …"_

Mokuba's nose wrinkled with disgust as he watched the crowd on the dance floor jump back and forth in time with the quacking music and man on stage. "Why him Seto? Out of all the people you could have befriended, why Jack?"

"Why not?" Seto frowned as he met his brother in a head on stare. "You've always said, - for years and years now, - that I should make friends, and now that I have you're complaining?"

"But you and him, you're just so different." He argued. "The complete opposite of each other."

"And you've taken the time to get to know him to prove that have you?" Seto knew there were similarities and a strong connection with the older man he'd chosen as his friend, so why was his brother so disapproving all of a sudden? He felt he had a fairly good idea. "Or are you just sore with him because he tried hitting on your wife?"

"No." Mokuba snorted, highly aware and informed of the couple of occasions Jack had flirted with the woman he'd loved since their teenage years. "Becky would never fall for him or go behind my back. And before you ask, - 'cause I know you'll _always _have doubts about her, - I trust her completely. She never keeps secrets from me."

_That's what you think._ Seto fought back the laxness of his intoxicated tongue. Her involvement with Torchwood would be just such a secret that was kept from him. Swinging the subject away from Rebecca he asked, "What _have_ you got against Jack? If I remember rightly, you were all for him tagging along when we first met …"

"And you were all against having him anywhere near us!" Mokuba exclaimed before he suddenly wavered to avoid further confrontation. Seto never had explained what it was that had made the two of them so close after the Doctor had left him and Jack alone that one time. Would he ever be told without seeming like a jealous whiney little brat wanting to know his big brother's every move?

Seto's mind was trying to place pieces together whilst working against the alcohol pushing them further apart. Something had clearly upset his brother. Did it really relate to Jack, or was it something else? Perhaps he wasn't actually okay with Ianto having continued the role of best man after all?

"He's ruining your big day." Mokuba frowned towards Jack who had changed song sometime during their conversation.

Seto followed his brother's gaze to the stage.

"…_Hold a chicken in the air, stick a deckchair up your nose. Buy a jumbo jet and then bury all your clothes. Paint your left knee green, then extract your wisdom teeth. Form a string quartet and pretend your name is Keith …"_

He gave a shrug. "As long as he keeps his clothes on, let him sing what he likes."

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"_Oh, my love, my darling. I've hungered for, your touch. A long, lonely time …"  
_

"I can't believe that this is the first decent song he's sung all afternoon, and you're letting Seto dance with another girl!" Naoko commented as she stood next to the bride whilst Jack sang Unchained Melody on the stage.

"I know." Kisara sighed as she watched her husband dance with his arms holding another, and secretly wishing it was her instead as she raised a glass of water to her lips. "But look at how happy they are."

On the dance floor, Seto held Anathema as the two of them slowly swayed in time to the music. It had been the little girl's request to dance with her 'Daddy' and he had found it impossible to refuse. Both of them wore contented smiles from the newfound closeness that had been formed between them earlier that day.

Naoko turned to question her friend. "So when do you plan on filing for divorce?"

"Excuse me?" Kisara almost choked on her drink upon hearing the seriously asked question.

"Around six months would be as much as I could tolerate."

"Why … would I consider … a divorce?" She found it hard to contemplate what she had been asked. "I plan on spending the rest of my life with Seto."

"You can't be serious!"

"I _love_ him."

"That's what you said about the last guy and look at how that turned out."

Kisara froze as memories of her past relationship sprang to mind. It had started off happy enough but had become violent and abusive behind closed doors. If it hadn't have been for Naoko's help then she'd most likely still be trapped in the silence that she'd been forced into to escape further cruelty from the man who had misused her heart. She shivered and then pushed them back into the depths from where they had sprung. "That was different. Back then I was younger, naive …"

"And in love." Naoko pointed out with a more empathetic tone to her voice. "Don't make the same mistake again."

"Seto's not a mistake." Kisara assured firmly and without any hesitation as she continued to watch him and Anathema on the dance floor. She smiled with tears of happiness sparkling in her eyes. "He's my happy ending."

"Oh please!" Naoko rolled her eyes. "This isn't one of your books or fancy plays; there's no such thing as a happy ending in life." She watched a tear roll down her friend's cheek and only then realised the hurt she was causing. "Kisara I'm sorry. I do want you to be happy, and if he makes you happy right now then so be it. But trust me, men are all the same, and sooner or later Seto _will_ break your heart. And when that time happens, you come straight back to me you hear? I'll always be here for you."

Not another word was exchanged between the two women as Naoko slowly backed away from her friend and over towards the bucktoothed man waiting for her with two champagne glasses in his hands. She took one of the drinks from Banana Boat and quickly gulped it back before whispering in his ear and together they strode over onto the balcony area outside.

Kisara's heart sank as she watched her friend leave with the Welshman. She knew that Naoko hadn't meant anything bad by what she had said; that was just her way with coping from her own past heartaches. But she couldn't help feeling that her friend was living a empty life by having such a negative view, one that had been caused by the men she'd once loved cheating on her. Maybe one day her friend wouldn't be so afraid to let someone close to her once again and take another chance of finding love and her own possible happy ending.

"Did somebody order their own wedding rings to replace the loaned replacements?"

The bride twirled around to see Ianto standing behind her. His suit was speckled with where the droplets of rain had hit him from his journey between the SUV and social club. He frowned at her. "You've been crying. Is this all becoming too overwhelming for you?"

"Something like that." She spoke with a half smile and wiped her cheeks.

Ianto frowned some more at the poor attempt Kisara had done to clear her face. He reached into his trouser pocket for a tissue or handkerchief but found neither, so instead he tentatively cupped his hand around her face and gently used his thumb to remove the last of the seeping tears from her eye. "There you go. One beautiful, happy bride once more."

" … _God speed your love to…. meeeeeeeeeeee." _Jack came to the end of the song and the dancing stopped.

Seto let go of Anathema who ran excitedly around the room as she searched for her cousins to now play with again, and approached his wife and best man. "You took your time Yan." He smirked before kissing the woman he loved.

"Yes, well, Jack will hide things in silly places." Reaching into his jacket pocket he produced the box containing both wedding bands. "Ta da!"

The couple broke apart and Seto eagerly took the ring box from the Welshman. He replaced the ring on Kisara's finger then allowed her to do the same to his.

"Oh, I'll take those!" Ianto said as he saw Seto about to pocket the two borrowed rings. "I'll hand them back to their owners."

"It's okay, I'll do it later." The groom assured.

"Why wait until later when I can do it now?"

Seto hesitated and with a raised brow, stared at the Welshman. "Do you know _who_ they belong to?"

"Of course." Ianto was beginning to get the feeling that his friend was reluctant to let the rings go. Why? "I wouldn't offer to hand them back if I didn't know. Besides, it's getting to around that time when you'd be opening the presents, okay there's only a few …"

"Just give him the rings." Kisara coaxed with a smile as she reached out to take hold of her husband's hand. "Come on. Come and open your gift from me."

There was another moment of hesitation before Seto finally parted with the rings in his clenched hand. "Don't forget to mention to their owners that I'm extremely grateful for their loaning of them to us." He pressed them down firmly into his friend's hand and stared him head on. "I mean it; Kisara and I wouldn't have been able to get married without them, and if that had been the case then our day _would _have been ruined."

Ianto nodded his understanding and began to feel guilty that he was robbing his friend from expressing his appreciation to the rings' owners himself. Maybe he should stop acting like a good intentions control freak and hand them back? But before he got the chance to voice or act on his doubts of reconsideration, Kisara had lead Seto halfway across the hall and over to where several small presents lay on one of the tables. _Oh well, too late now._

A quick glance towards the stage and the Welshman saw his lover and the DJ scurrying around to fix up what looked like a projection screen. Had Jack even noticed that he'd been gone? Or was he too preoccupied with his singing to have registered his absence? Either way it didn't matter as he set off to return the first of the two rings.

The ring was closely examined as Ianto headed in the direction of the outside balcony. The gold was beautifully crafted as it rose up from the hoop and elegantly twisted around the gem that was set in the centre of the curl. Was that a real blue diamond? He now stepped foot onto the veranda and squinted as he held the ring up to make the most of the light from the darkened down-pouring sky and took a closer look at the gem.

A noise to Ianto's right caught his attention. If he hadn't heard the muffled sound of two people deeply engrossed in rough lip locking action then he would have most likely missed the person he was looking for. The Welshman cleared his throat to make his presence know. "I do hope that I'm not interrupting something."

"As a matter of fact mate, yes, you are!" Banana Boat spoke with a frustrated tone as he glared at Ianto. Naoko was pinned against the wall in his grasp and seemed kind of distant within herself. "This one's mine, go find your own."

"Trust me; I've no interest in her." Ianto assured. "I just merely wanted to return this ring on behalf of the extremely grateful bride and groom." He held the ring out and Naoko became more focused as she caught sight of it.

"Thanks." The woman squeezed out from under the arms of the man she'd been stringing along all afternoon. She took her ring back from Ianto and noticed nothing but smugness in the smirk he gave her.

"Blue diamond; very nice." His eyes widened and smirk broadened. "Very Expensive." He then turned his gaze back to the other Welshman and asked. "Do you have any idea how much one of those cost?"

"A lot." Banana Boat snorted. "She's a classy girl. She can afford it."

"Perhaps." Ianto nodded thoughtfully. "But you couldn't."

Naoko suddenly became a bit more sober as she realised that her game of playing the bucktoothed man for his money was about to be over. Her actions had clearly been observed by the best man who was surely about to drop her in it and humiliate her. She braced herself for whatever humiliation would come her way.

"Of course I could!" Banana Boat exclaimed defensively. He wasn't about to let some guy ruin his chances of shagging the posh bird who believed him to be wealthy too. "I'd have to save a little first, not for long mind."

"Really?" Ianto asked sceptically. After helping to bail the idiot out of trouble with the Spanish authorities so that he could make it back in time to be Rhys' best man just a couple years ago, he knew a fair bit about the man. "What's the going rate for Income Support these days? All that hardworking taxpayers' money given to you in handouts so that you can just sit on your arse and do sweet FA all day. Except for when you want a bit extra by flogging counterfeit goods." He paused and watched the bemused man's face before adding. "How much stuff would you have to shift to buy the lady here something nice?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Naoko was finding things a little hard to take it at that moment. First off, it wasn't her being exposed as the fraud. And secondly, the man she'd been playing was deceiving her with his lies too? She stared at Ianto. "Are you trying to say that he has no stately home, flash car, company or shares to his name?"

"Pretty much." He smirked.

A disgusted look was thrown Banana Boat's way before Naoko turned to make a swift exit.

"Wait!" The bucktooth man pleaded. "So I told a few little lies, but we can still…"

"Forget it!" She snapped back. "If you've got nothing to offer me, then I've got nothing to offer you!" And with that she stormed off back inside, thankful that things hadn't progressed further than they might have before she found out about the unattractive man's charade.

Banana Boat scornfully muttered under his breath as he watched her leave. "Good riddance, you gold-digging …"

Ianto cleared his throat once more to drown out the crude phrase which the other man had chosen to depict the woman who had just left.

"Don't think I've forgotten about you." Banana Boat grinned with all his oversized teeth showing. "Cheers mate. The last thing I needed was someone like her using me to get what _she_ wanted."

Ianto really couldn't help himself as he spoke, "I've got three words for you; Pot, kettle, black."

Crease lines appeared in the dim Welshman's brow and he almost became cross eyed as he thought over the words that had just been said to him. "I wonder what that means?" He mused his pondering aloud to himself.

With a sigh and a shake of his head, Ianto left the balcony area and returned inside to deliver the remaining ring to its owner. He looked this one over too; a plain platinum band at around a little over half a centimetre wide. Nice, as far as something so bland could be considered anyway.

The group of friend's that the Welshman knew were from Seto's youth sat gathered around the same table they'd occupied for most of the party when he found them a moment later. He walked right up to them and attempted to get the blonde's attention. "Excuse me."

Joey looked up. "Yes?" _What does this guy want?_

"I'm returning this to you on behalf of Seto who is extremely grateful for your generous contribution ..."

"Say what?"

Ianto calmly remained silent even though he was annoyed at the interruption from the blonde. He smiled and instead of wasting more of his time talking, instead just placed the ring flat on the table's top.

"What the …?" Tea voiced what she and her friend's were thinking whilst Joey burst out into laughter.

"You think this is mine?"

"I had assumed so." Ianto easily got the message that the blonde haired man, - who was still laughing quite hard, - wasn't the ring's owner like he had originally thought. "Obviously I was wrong."

"Why would you think that this belongs to Joey?" Yugi asked curiously.

The Welshman began to feel uncomfortable over the misunderstanding, but in all fairness they were owed an explanation. "Back at the ceremony when the request was made for the rings, I saw Jack talking to you guys …"

"He trod on our feet, not to mention had his ass in our faces as he squeezed by, I was simply complaining." Joey butted in.

"I wasn't complaining." Tea muttered quietly before taking a sip of her drink.

"… and then he came away with two rings." Ianto continued. "One from Naoko and the other from someone else on that row. I couldn't help noticing the mark on your finger caused by the regular wearing of a wedding ring …"

"You mean the one that's at my home and stored away with my divorce papers?"

"I didn't know that, I just assumed …"

"Assumed!" Joey laughed and then spoke to his two friends. "Did you hear that guys?" His laughing stopped and his face became hard as he glared at the Welshman standing at their table. "Earlier you had the nerve to imply that I was shallow for an outdated opinion I had about a guy who I knew and had experience of during my youth and yet here you are making assumptions about me based on a few glances that you didn't even see correctly. Now who's the shallow one?"

Ianto wasn't sure what to say as he felt the blonde's eyes boring into him. Timidly he picked up the ring and gave the other two a quick glance. Both shook their heads to indicated that the ring wasn't theirs either and he then swiftly left to escape further mortification.

It was very rarely that he got things wrong but should have known that something didn't quite add up after the way that he'd heard the other man talking about Seto when they had first arrived at the social club. _What an arsehole! At least I won't be seeing him again once today is over with._

He glanced at the ring once more. If it didn't belong to the mutt, then whose was it?

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**A/N: Jack's songs this chapter: 'Saturday Night', 'The Chicken Song', and 'Unchained Melody'.**

**Once this fic is over (two chapters left to go), the next instalment will be 'Children of Earth' told from Seto's point of view, which I should hopefully be able to start posting exactly one year to the day since it aired on UK TV. Would you as the readers like it as five weekly updates or five consecutive day updates to stay in theme with the original concept of how the series was shown?**

**And after that we move on to what I had planned as the final part of the trilogy. Of course this thing has spiralled so much that I doubt it could be called a trilogy any more, and yes I do have more side-stories planned for it but I really want to work on the final part and will fill in the gaps after that is complete.**

**:)**

**KG  
**


	20. Chapter 20

**Thank you starwefter for the review :)**

**Chapter Twenty**

Kisara handed Seto the gift she had bought him for their wedding day.

He took the small cubed shaped box from her and carefully untied the masses of curled ribbon which sat in a beautiful bow on the top.

"I hope you like it." She told him as he lifted the lid and peered inside to see the shiny gold watch proudly ticking away as it waited there. "It's nothing fancy, or expensive, and I know you have several already …"

"Honey, it's wonderful." He assured her. "Exactly what I wanted."

The watch was removed from its stand in the box and Seto wasted no time in strapping it onto his wrist where the stolen one from the night before had occupied previously. He tilted his wrist back and forth as he admired the new face of the watch and then pulled his wife closer to kiss her. "I'll treasure it always."

"I'm glad that you like it." Kisara beamed and snuggled closer into the embrace she had been pulled into. In his arms she felt safe and secure, and most importantly loved. She wished that the moment would last forever as she prepared herself to reveal the second half of her gift to the man she couldn't live without. "That's not the only thing…"

"Oi, you two lovebirds, come with me!" Jack's voice sounded as he came rushing up to the newlyweds.

Before they had a chance to protest he steered them both back towards the stage which he had come from, passing his lover in the process.

"Jack!" Ianto called out at seeing him rush by.

"Busy Ianto; be with you in a sec!" He called back.

The Welshman didn't argue as he waited where he stood and continued to ponder over just who the remaining ring belonged to.

"What's going on Jack?" Seto growled as he found himself shoved onto the stage.

"Pipe down and you'll see." He grinned in reply and forced a microphone into each of their hands before addressing the crowd in the hall. "Ladies and gentlemen, if I could have your attention please…"

"We're making more speeches?" Kisara asked her husband who looked almost as bemused as she was.

"I hope so." Seto muttered in reply as he held back the urge to swear on a scale that would put him on a par with the chef Gordon Ramsey. Knowing what his friend was like, he had a fairly good idea what was about to come next and more speeches sounded like the better option.

"… So while I take a break from my line up, the bride and groom would like to entertain you all in my place." The captain bowed as the applause sounded and then huddled with the couple like a coach and his team.

"No!" Seto hissed angrily as he pushed Jack's arm from off his shoulder. "I'm _not _doing this!"

But the older man wasn't listening as he spoke to the bride. "Kisara, your lines are the pink ones, Seto's are blue and the purple ones you both sing together." He indicated over to the screen which he and the DJ had erected a few moments ago.

"Okay, I've got that." She nodded in response to the craziness that was happening all too fast for her to object.

Jack's teeth gleamed wickedly as he faced the groom. "Seto?" The only reply he got was a rather rude hand gesture and fires of fury burning within those mock angry sapphire eyes that he loved so much. Pushing the younger man's boundaries was something he'd never get tired of doing, especially when it was this much fun for him to carry out and watch.

The music of the captain's chosen song for the couple began to play. "Three, two, one; over to you two." he leapt off stage and left Seto and Kisara alone to perform as best as they could.

"_Especially for you…"_ The pink highlighted lyrics appeared on the projection screen and Kisara managed to get each one in time and in tune with the music. _"… I wanna let you know what I was going through. All the time we were apart I thought of you. You were in my heart. My love never changed. I still feel the same."_

Seto stood there glaring at Jack and was busy plotting ways for revenge when he suddenly felt Kisara elbow him hard as a sign that it was his turn to sing. Not wanting to disappoint her as she seemed to be enjoying herself from the smile on her face, he half-heartedly gave it a go himself. _"Especially for you."_ He was out of time and off key to start with, but a few lines later sounded much better. _"I wanna tell you I was feeling that way too. And if dreams were wings, you know I would have flown to you. To be where you are…" _

"You never know when to quit do you?" Ianto sighed as he joined by Jack's side.

"Nope." Jack chuckled. And continued to watch the couple now singing together.

"… _And now we're back together, together, I wanna show you, my heart is oh so true. And all the love I have is especially for you …"_

"Not exactly Kylie and Jason, but they're not bad either." Jack commented before remembering that his lover had wanted his attention before the song had started. "I'm sorry Yantie, what was it you wanted?"

"Just a little enquiry, that's all." The Welshman managed to divert his gaze from the couple on the stage. "I returned to the Hub to fetch Seto and Kisara's _actual _rings …"

"Yeah, I did notice you sneaking out during the first song." The captain received a slightly astonished stare from his lover. "What, you didn't think I paid attention to little things like that?"

Avoiding giving an answer to the question asked, - which would have revealed his surprise that such things had been noted, - Ianto gently cleared his throat and continued. "When I arrived back a few moments ago I handed them over, and then set about returning the loaned ones back to their owners. Naoko was happy to be reunited with hers, but this one," He held up the platinum band for the other man to see. "It didn't belong to whom I had first suspected."

The captain nervously stared at the ring.

"Whose is it Jack?"

"… _I've waited long enough to find you; I wanna put all the hurt behind you."_

"_And I wanna bring out all the love inside you, oh and now we're back together …" _

The sound of Seto's and then Kisara's voice harmoniously filled the void before Jack finally answered. "It's mine."

"Yours?" Ianto seemed doubtful. His lover wasn't the type of person who'd wear such a thing. _Unless…?_ He suddenly became all nervous and flustered as he handed the ring over.

"You okay?" Jack asked with concern, his own feeling of awkwardness over ridden at seeing the change in the man before him.

Ianto gave a meek nod that was followed by a laugh which sounded close to heartbreak. "I'd have been a fool not to expect something like this. You've lived a long life and had many lovers; it's only natural that you'd want to keep a memento of the ones who meant the most to you."

The captain smiled sadly as he clenched his fist tightly around the platinum ring in his hand.

"And from the look of it…" Ianto continued to go on about the well cared for, so much so that it looked almost new, ring. "… you cherish the person who this belonged to a lot."

"He means the world to me." Jack nodded and wished that his thoughts were brave enough to connect with his tongue and explain to the younger man that the ring was intended for him. How it had been purchased the day before with money he'd borrowed from his newly married friend, and that he'd planned to carry it on him at all times until he felt the moment was right between them to share the token of love. About how he had used it after failing to remember the correct rings for the couple's special occasion, and that knowing this was why Seto had originally disagreed to use the ring at the ceremony.

The sound of clapping and cheering erupted from the crowd gathered on the dance floor as the newlyweds came to the end of their song.

"I'm just going to get something to eat and drink." Ianto stated to break the stillness with Jack which had been brought on between them as a result of the platinum ring. "You want anything?"

"No." The captain replied apologetically. "I'm due back on stage now that they've finished. Suggesting he sings more than one song would be pushing my luck with Seto." He watched the Welshman blankly nod and then leave to approach the buffet before he himself headed back towards the stage.

"Here." Seto calmly handed back the microphone to his friend as they passed by each other.

"What; that's it?" Jack asked, surprised that he hadn't gotten more of an aggravated reaction from the younger man.

"Nothing's going to ruin today." There was a smug grin accompanying the words which made the captain unsure if it was the result of too much drink, revengeful thoughts or perhaps just plain genuine contentment from his friend.

Kisara giggled in the heat of the moment and handed her microphone over too.

"Thanks." Jack took the piece of equipment back from the bride and then returned his stare to the groom once more. "You gave Ianto the rings to return?"

"He insisted." Seto retorted tiredly with a shrug.

"But you didn't have to!"

"You know what he's like with his persistence."

"That's still no excuse …!"

"Hey!" Kisara interrupted the two men before their voices rose and attracted unwanted attention to the bickering between them, and stared at Jack as she spoke. "Don't take it out on Seto. If anyone is to blame then it's me. I told him to give them to Ianto." She watched the captain purse his lips; accepting the reason and backing down from the disagreement. "Why does it matter if he was given them or not?"

Jack remained silent so Seto took a moment to simply explain, "Because the ring I was wearing belongs to him."

"I'm missing something here." The confusion was clearly present on Kisara's face. "Why isn't he allowed his own ring?"

"I hadn't given it to him yet." Jack muttered in a manner that was hard to tell if he was angry or upset. "And now he thinks it's a keepsake of one of my past relationships."

"Oh!" The bride's eye's widened as she caught on to the predicament. "That's not good! Give me a moment or two and I'll have it all sorted." She was determined to resolve the misunderstanding, but as she was about to leave she felt her husband wrap his hand around her arm.

"No." He told her. "There's only one person who can sort out this mess." His eyes then fell on his friend. "The ball's in your court Jack."

_Great!_ The captain's mind sneered. All three of them knew just how easily the matter could be fixed with just a few honest words spoken, but the glare he received from Seto told him that there'd be no help from either of them. That he, - Jack, - would have to be the one to overlook his pride and make amends on his own; the perfect payback for the karaoke, first dance and naked photo stunts of that day as well as anything else that his friend might hold against him.

Seto smiled at Kisara. "Come on Honey. Let's leave him to it whilst you open your gift from me."

She nodded and the two of them headed back over towards the head table.

"Are you good to go yet?" The DJ shouted over to Jack as he reclaimed his position back on stage.

"Yeah." The captain confirmed with a forced smile. His eyes then flashed from the newlyweds reaching their table and back on to Ianto standing at the buffet. He couldn't avoid the situation forever and had to do something sooner or later.

_Later. _That was Jack's choice. The microphone was raised to his mouth and he waited for the electronically synthesised intro of his next song. All the while his mind nagged and pushed at him. _No; not later. Now! He deserves better than to be expected to guess all of the time… _"Stop!" He shouted at the DJ who quickly stopped the turntable from playing 'Tainted Love'.

Throughout the hall people began to whisper amongst themselves as they watched the wedding singer dart over towards the DJ.

"Nothing to worry about ladies and gents, just a change of scheduled tracks." The balding man assured whilst the other man frantically flicked through the boxes of vinyl records in search of the album he required.

_Typical Jack. _Ianto sneered to himself whilst he watched the commotion on stage as a box that had been searched tumbled and its entire contents smashed as a result. No doubt he'd have to amend Torchwood's account to pay for the damage caused once the party was over._ Never could make up his mind with what he wanted. And I guess he never will._

A frown now crept on to the Welshman's face. After having sorted out the jealousy issues regarding the Doctor and Jack, - when Seto had been working as part of Torchwood Three, - he now felt back to square one again over the mysterious ring of Jack's.

"Ah-ha, got it!" Jack exclaimed and handed over the record to the narked looking DJ. He followed the displeased stare down to the box of broken vinyl shards. "Oh. Yeah, sorry about that. I'll replace them all, I promise, but I need you to play the fourth track on here for me." The Westlife album was handed over and he sprang back to centre stage.

Over by the head table, Seto had given Kisara's gift to her. After an exchange of kisses she was just about to open the rectangular box but stopped when he told her to wait a moment. The corners of his lips ever so slightly curved as he listened to the beginning of the music now playing.

"What is it?" Kisara curiously asked her husband in an attempt to find out what was going on.

"I can't be certain, but I think Jack is about to put his mess right." He told her.

"And which mess would that be?" Gwen asked overhearing the conversation as she snuck up from behind the happy couple; Rhys and a highly drunken Banana Boat in tow.

"Just watch." Seto urged.

On stage, Jack began to sing his chosen song. _"__You make me feel funny. When you come around, yeah that's what I found out Honey. What am I doing without you? You make me feel happy. When I leave you behind, it plays on my mind now Honey. What am I doing without you?"_

Ianto gave a half-hearted smile when he saw Jack looking his way as he sang the lyrics. Maybe if he'd been deluded enough it could have been quite possible that his lover was actually singing the song to him. Nah, that was highly unlikely. For a start Jack wouldn't call him Honey. Yantie, Sexy, Tiger-pants, sure but _never_ Honey.

"_Took for granted, everything we had, as if I'd find someone who's just like you."_

Yep, now he knew he'd have to be deluded to believe such a thing. After the years spent working together, he'd eventually gotten to know the captain better than the rest of the team and Jack rarely admitted when he was wrong or what he was truly feeling.

"_We got a little world of our own. I'll tell you things that no one else knows. I let you in where no-one else goes. What am I doing without you? And all of the things I've been looking for, have always been here outside of my door, and all of the time I'm looking for something new. What am I doing without you?"_

The Welshman couldn't argue or find fault with the chorus. At least that much was true. But of course it was only a song; it's not like Jack actually meant any of it right? He drank from the champagne flute he was holding.

"_Well I guess I'm ready. For settling down, my fooling around is over. And I swear it's true. No buts or maybes. When I'm falling down, there's always someone who saves me. And boy it's you!"_

Champagne spurted everywhere as Ianto almost choked at hearing Jack purposely change the lyric from 'girl' to 'boy'. He really was singing the song to him. The outstretched arm of his lover pointing directly at him quashed any further doubts of that.

Jack grinned at seeing the stunned expression from across the room. "_Funny how life can be so surprising, I'm just realizing what you do…" _

As the captain repeated the chorus once more, Banana Boat curled his lips and turned to his friend beside him. "They're gay?"

"It would seem so." Rhys replied calmly, hiding his uneasiness, and then laughed as he added. "Still, no big deal …"

"No big deal?" The bucktooth Welshman exclaimed before he eyed his friend more closely through a drunken squint. "You knew didn't you?"

Now Rhys was feeling really uncomfortable at having deceived his friend. "Yeah, I did." He answered weakly.

Banana Boat turned away in disgust and then a thought hit him. "No wonder he wasn't interested in that Japanese bird earlier; he was after me!" He felt sick from the preposterous belief that Ianto had tried to entice him earlier and swiftly left the hall.

"Col!" Rhys called. Even if he was homophobic, Banana Boat was still his friend. "Col!" He shouted again and then gave chase out of the room after him to make sure that he didn't do anything stupid.

Gwen didn't notice either of them leave as she was too fixated on Jack who now stepped down from the stage, - singing; microphone still in hand, - and approaching the stunned looking Ianto.

"…_Well it's feeling right now. So let's do it right now. Praying that somehow you will understand the way. It's feeling right now, baby somehow; I won't let this slip away."_

Jack now stood directly in front of Ianto and looked deeply into his eyes. _"We got a little world of our own. I'll tell you things that no one else knows. I let you in where no-one else goes."_ He suddenly dropped down onto one knee and produced a small box now containing the platinum ring._ "What am I doing without you?" _

The rest of the song's music continued without any further lyrics from the captain who awaited a response from the widened stare of his lover. He could hear a few inaudible murmurs begin to escape from some of the crowd and knew that he had to get his words out quick before the moment was lost.

"This ring has _never _belonged to anyone else." He told Ianto. "I purchased it yesterday; ask Seto he was there, as well as loaned me the money I needed to get it. It was intended for you, - when the time was right, - but after the way I screwed up with their rings I couldn't jeopardise the ceremony earlier. "

It was beginning to make sense to Ianto now. That was why Seto hadn't wanted to use the ring in the first place, or why he didn't want him handing them back to their 'owners', and also explained the tremendous gratitude expressed when the groom had eventually given it to him. Although the ring had been worn by someone else before him and knowing about it, he couldn't blame Jack for that. Seto had needed a ring and he'd have probably done the same if it had been the other way around.

"And after misinterpreting numerous signs that may have led you to believe that I don't care about you, - about us, - I had to come clean with my feelings before it was too late and I lost you." Jack took a deep breath to clear away the tingles in his throat caused by the thought of possibly losing the other man from his life due to a few simple misunderstandings. "So what do you say Ianto Jones; a civil ceremony between you and me?" His face beamed as he awaited the answer to his proposal.

Ianto's face had now regained its tranquillity and still he remained remarkably calm as he raised a questioning eyebrow. "You just proposed to me?"

"Yes."

"Through the means of a song?"

"Yes."

"A song originally sang by Irish boy band?"

"Yes?" Was it some kind of crime for the artist he'd chosen to be different from that of his Welsh lover?

"In a room full of people, the majority of which we don't know and gathering from some of the whispers, not all of them are accepting of our sexuality?"

Jack had no response. He knew that there would never be a time that mankind would ever be one hundred percent accepting of each other so it didn't bother him what others thought, yet now felt guilty of placing his lover in the awkwardly uncomfortable situation he'd been trying to avoid in the past for him.

"And to top it all off," Ianto was coming to the end of his interrogation. "… you chose to do it now, on Seto and Kisara's big day?"

The captain caught the hint of the Welshman's disapproval of stealing the limelight from the bride and groom. "I really ought to start thinking these things over first before acting huh?" He winced.

"Yes Jack, you should."

There were no more words to be spoken between the two men as they just continued to stare at each other. The music now came to an end and added to the tension of the stillness they were in.

"For god's sake Yan, just put him out of his misery!" Seto shouted with frustration as he too was becoming doubtful over the situation. Maybe he should have let Kisara straighten things out a little less publicly than things had become?

Ianto closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. This is what he had been waiting for; for Jack to honest about where they were in their relationship. But still, it would be hard for him to accept as he'd then be faced with a few difficulties he'd have to overcome. Mostly the fact that his Mam, - mentally unstable and old fashioned with her ways, - was sure to disapprove once she found out that he, - her beloved baby boy, - was bisexual which he'd been hiding it from her and his sister, - though he was sure Rhiannon would be more understanding, - for so long. He hardly saw them enough as it was which had caused numerous disagreements and had been the fuel, - or so he felt, - for his father's death. Would he be able to cope if they turned their backs on him completely? Sometimes, chances just had to be taken.

He opened his eyes to see Jack staring at him with that gaze which told him that as long as he was around nothing bad would ever happen to him. There was no way he was going to throw that kind of love away, especially since now it had been declared for others to witness. Still, he had to be sure. "Dw i'n dy garu di."

There was a mixed reaction of gasps and whispers from some of the strangers in the room who had clearly understood the Welsh that had been spoken.

"What did he say?" Kisara asked her husband who she knew could understand the foreign language.

"I'm not entirely sure." Seto frowned and silently cursed himself as he should have known that pretending to understand Welsh would backfire on him one day. He turned to consult with Gwen who he saw with teary eyes and a quivering mouth and then decided against pulling her from the focused trance. They were sure to find out soon enough what had been said without a translation.

Jack's grin broadened at the challenge that had been thrown his way. Any time that the two of them conversed in the other language it was usually when they were being sentimental and wanted to avoid being other heard by the majority of people around them. But not this time as he sensed that the Welshman was testing him for a response that everyone could understand which would prove that he was serious about the devoting proposal he'd just made. He finally gave his reply, "And I love you too."

That was the proof that he wanted which convinced him that the chance was worth taking. "Yes." He smiled happily his reply to the proposal and Jack leapt up from his kneeling position to drag him into the tightest and most loving embrace he had ever experienced.

Clapping and cheering broke out from several clusters of people scatter around the hall as well as the odd disgusted and hushed remark.

"Was that really necessary?" Mokuba sneered as he stood next to Rebecca.

"Mokie!" She exclaimed in surprise to his reaction. "I had no idea that you were …"

"I'm _not_ a homophobe." He assured her before she even had chance to finish her accusation. "I just don't see _why_ they had to hijack Seto and Kisara's reception party, _especially_ after all the mishaps they've been through today."

"They didn't hijack it; they just got caught up in the moment." Rebecca leaned over and kissed her husband on the cheek. "Remember what it's like to do things spontaneously?"

"Perhaps you're right." He smiled back at her and returned the kiss.

On the dance floor Jack and Ianto were still in each others arms and locked in a deep kiss.

"They've got to stop for air sometime." Kisara giggled as she watched them.

"Yeah, they do eventually." Seto muttered. His mind was a million miles away from his two male friends as he stared towards the outdoor balcony where he had seen Gwen suddenly rush off to. He turned to Kisara and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Finish opening your gift from me and I'll be back in a moment."

Before she had chance to question his leaving, her attention was drawn to Naoko who appeared beside her. "Did things not work out with Colin?" She asked.

"Who?" Naoko put on a brave face.

Kisara smiled and was thankful that Ianto had dispelled the drunken couple before things had progressed further into something that they'd both regret. "Plenty more 'genuinely rich' fish in the sea eh?"

"Suppose." Naoko shrugged and then not wanting to bask in the pity of her friend, encouraged her to hurry up and open the gift she held, both of them curious to see what Seto had given her.

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**A/N: Seto & Kisara's song: 'Especially for you." Jack's song: 'World of our own.' **

**'Tainted Love' - Whoiverse in-joke as it was used to demonstrate Cassandra's i-Pod/jukebox in the DW episode 'End of the world' and also played at Gwen and Rhys' wedding in the TW episode 'Something Borrowed'.**

**Jack's proposal goes against the whole 'Couple?' thing seen in Day One of CoE, but I had this envisioned before that aired and I couldn't bear to alter it to fit in with that series :P**

**And yes, it probably is a good idea to update the next fic in weekly instalments, especially since I've just had a minor setback with having to wait for a new charger cable for my laptop. (Still making good progress with it though as I'm part way through typing Day Three)**

**Next week will see this story come to an end.**

**:)**

**KG  
**


	21. Chapter 21

**Big Thanks to starwefter, lesnuitsdhiver, meow, kaboodles, and darkdranzer for leaving reviews :D  
**

**Chapter Twenty-one**

The rain continued to fall heavily outside the social club. Seto entered onto the veranda and was hit by the many droplets that momentarily blew in sideways from a big gust of wind. He didn't let the weather bother him though as he continued his search for Gwen and soon found her huddled away, concealed from view by a stack of chairs.

"Gwen?" Warily he approached her as she sat sobbing on the damp floor.

"Seto?" She stopped her crying and swiftly wiped away the tears to leave behind two red rimmed waterlogged eyes. "What are you doing out here?"

"Looking for you." He frowned at the state he'd found his friend in. She was clearly hurting inside and after the one instance when she'd seen him reduced to tears and offered him support, he felt that now was the time to repay such a debt. Carefully he seated himself on the ground next to her. "What's with the weeping?"

"Nothing; they're just tears of happiness."

"You're a bad liar." He could easily see right through her. "Once Ianto said yes to Jack's proposal, you couldn't leave the room fast enough. That's not the actions of someone who's happy for her friends."

"I didn't ask you to come out here!" Gwen exclaimed, clearly not wanting to discuss the situation further. "You don't have to pretend like you care."

"But I do care; that's the problem." Indeed things were much simpler when he didn't have friends. Back then there was no need for him to justify his actions or involve himself with the concerns of others.

For a moment they looked at each other with silent understanding of their friendship before Seto then rose what he assumed to be the problem behind the woman's tears. "Whatever you and Jack may have had going on, it has to stop."

"Whoa, whoa!" Gwen gave a preposterous laugh. "There was _never_ anything going on between me and Jack."

"Is that the honest truth?" Seto asked sceptically. He'd once uncovered a startled reaction from the captain in an argument where he'd teased the older man about beating him in gaining the Welshwoman's affections and had later been given an explanation from Jack who believed Gwen to be some kind of reincarnation of a past love, and assured that nothing had progressed further between them, he still couldn't help questioning her to make sure that both sides added up.

"Yes." She answered without any doubt and then added. "Although… nah, forget it. You wouldn't understand."

"Understand what?"

Another big gust of wind blew more water their way and left a chill behind as well. Gwen shifted where she sat and snuggled against the man beside her who didn't move the slightest. "It sounds crazy, but I've had these dreams, quite vivid dreams at that, visions even, about me and Jack."

"Ah! That'll be his pheromones at work." Seto had no desire to listen to whatever erotic dreams she may have had about the other man.

"No, not those kind." Gwen managed a smirk as she now lazily rested her head on Seto's upper arm. "These were more … periodic; around a century or two ago. Like we were once an item, together, in another life. And maybe, just maybe, it might have been possible to continue it in this life." She frowned with a heavy sigh. "But I never worked up the nerve to tell him with fear of being shipped off to the loony bin, and now it's too late."

"It's probably for the best." Seto stated then added, "And you were right; that did sound crazy. But don't worry, I won't tell anyone." He couldn't believe what he was hearing from her as she described similar things like Jack had once told him. Just like him and Kisara, his two friends had once been together in the past, only neither of them had been brave enough to express to the other what they had experienced and felt. And he had no intention about ruining the commitment due to be made between his two male friends either.

"I guess Rhys will have to do then." She whispered her private thought out aloud. "I _do_ love him. It's just sometimes …

Seto craned his neck to be able to look down at Gwen, even if it was just the top of her head. "You shouldn't stay tied to a guy that you think is second best." He'd never liked the Welshman in question and the sooner she was rid of him the better in his opinion.

"He's not second best." She insisted with a half hearted laugh, and after the beat of a pause added, "Try third best."

"Third?" He asked curiously as more raindrops were blown their way.

"Today I've had to watch two men whom I adore, and I even helped them to devote themselves to another." Gwen explained with a heavy sigh and part wishing that she'd spoken up sooner to prevent the current aching in her heart.

"I had no idea that you felt that way about Ianto." Seto spoke and now understood that seeing the two men officially announce their relationship to bunch of almost complete strangers must have been the factor which had brought on his friend's tears.

Gwen carefully eased herself from his shoulder and stared at him. "I didn't mention anything about Ianto."

It took a second for Seto to catch on to the fact that she had been talking about him, and then he wasted no time in a panicky scramble to get to his feet.

"Oh no!" He shook his head in disbelief. "No, no, no."

"Yes." Gwen nodded frantically as she watched him now with his back to her and arms bearing his weight as they pushed up from the railings on the edge of the balcony. Speedily she stood up and joined his side as they both looked out over the rugby pitch of the social club which then morphed into housing estates and mountains further in the distance. "I don't see why it's something so hard for you to accept; we were almost there."

"Focus on the 'almost' part of you statement." He failed to make eye contact with her. "Back then I had nothing…"

"And I still wanted you!" Gwen's voice wavered on the verge of more tears. Even now she held feelings for him and the only thing that had stopped her speaking out sooner was that she'd prioritised his happiness above hers. But now that things were being revealed … well, it kind of sent that concern right out the window.

Yes; she had gotten close to _him_ and not the CEO of Kaiba Corp, but that wasn't the point he wanted to make. Seto turned his head slightly to face her. "I don't just mean about my company. The day I descended into the hub on the invisible lift, I had _nothing_."

"Except the perfect family you were running away from." Replied a scornful sneer.

Seto's fingers tensed on the railing in his grasp as the Welshwoman brought up the fact which had sent him seeking the captain's help in the first place. He fought back the rage that would have otherwise exploded at having been made aware of the traumatic experience for him and instead began to clarify the situation of the misunderstanding. "When I first met the Doctor he briefly left me and Jack in a portion of my past where we unknowingly altered the timeline.

"At that time, my brother was the only thing that truly mattered to me but because of the change he was never born, that's why I insist that I had nothing when I first came here. Fortunately we were able to put things right." - She didn't need to know about the Noah fiasco, - "Later, I found Kisara…"

"And what if you hadn't?" Gwen failed to accept that he didn't feel anything towards her. How could he not after the moment of lustful desire in the blind spot that one time? "What if you were stuck here? Working for Torchwood? No Kisara?"

"Never venture into the land of 'What if?'." He told her and turned away again into another gust of rain. "Trust me, I've been there and it only brings nothing but sorrow."

"Just answer my question." She ordered with that hint of supercilious authority which her job had sowed in her. "If you hadn't had the chance to change things back, what would you have done?"

Seto knew instantly what his answer would be and that for his friend to hear it would only cause her more pain. But she was being frustratingly persistent and maybe once she knew then she'd finally abandon the conversation at hand. He looked her straight on with a captivating yet stern glare. "If that had been the case and you wanted to part from Rhys, then yes, I would have gladly taken you from his arms."

A tear slowly crept down Gwen's face and pursed lips wobbled as she fought back her sobs after hearing him confirm that they could have been so much more than friends had the situation been different. But of course it wasn't as he'd found a life without her. She sniffed and tried to reclaim her usual composure. "What am I meant to do now?"

"I don't know." Seto admitted a little guiltily at having revealed something that he'd long since moved on from. She'd been the first woman he'd ever had feelings for, but he'd never dwelt on it like she had. He'd gotten over the attraction of first love with her and found his true happiness with Kisara. There was no comparison to be made; he loved and had devoted himself to the woman he'd married earlier that day. "Whatever you do decide though, it's got nothing to do with me. Why on earth would _I_ want to settle for second best?"

They stared at each other in silence with rain water buffeted them from the chilly gust that blew once more. The conversation was over and quite possibly the friendship they had known. Neither of them would want to speak of this moment ever again.

"We could have been so good together." Gwen was the one who had broken the silence with her hushed and hurtful tone. For a flicker of a moment her eyes left his and she wet her lips before diving at him as she kissed him one last time; giving her closure or the tiniest of chances of relighting the spark he had once felt for her.

Seto made no attempt at any kind of reaction. To do so would have been exactly what was expected of him and most likely to fuel another addition to the conversation they'd just left. He didn't want that for him or for her and knew that she'd finally get the message if he remained motionless like a statue while her lips danced circles around his.

The kiss was cold and horrible with its one sidedness and a million miles from what Gwen had truly wanted. She finally admitted defeat and removed herself from the groom. "I'm sorry." She whispered mournfully and then gently stroked a hand down the side of his face as she gave him a tearful trembling smile. "You'll always be my Cariad." Her touch disappeared before her words had ended and she was then swift to vanish from sight as she returned inside the social club.

For a moment Seto stayed where he stood outside on the balcony and gathered his thoughts. The last thing he'd wanted to do was hurt Gwen, but she had to stop living in the past and move on. He was even surprised with the calmness he'd maintained throughout the whole thing and not resorted to snarky comments which he could have quite easily made. Maybe he should have made them? Would it have ended sooner and/or felt less painful if they had resorted to such a manner? Would they ever speak to each other from then on? …

"Seto." Kisara's voice sounded as she approached where he stood. "What are you doing out here?"

"I was talking to Gwen." He replied as he turned to view his beautiful wife. "She was out here a moment ago."

"Yeah, I passed by her on my way out here. Is she okay? Poor girl looked like she'd been crying."

"Jack's proposal to Ianto got a little too emotional for her to handle." Seto smiled as he took Kisara's hand and led her back inside before more rain, - which had become heavy within the last minute or two, - was blown inwards at them. "It's a long story full of co-worker technicalities, but she's extremely happy for them both."

"Good." Kisara beamed back, though it seemed forced, and then held up the object in her hand. "Thank you for my gift. Naoko is ready to give you a piece of her mind for giving me a kitchen utensil, but Ianto assures me that there's reasoning behind it all."

"Of course there's reasoning behind it." The groom gently pulled the bride onto the dance floor where several other couples were slowly swaying along to the melody of Westlife's music since the wedding singer had abandoned the stage to spend time with his lover. "It's needed to help you prepare my meals once we settle back home."

Kisara rolled her eyes at the smirk on his face and put up no resistance as they joined in with the slow, - and voluntarily on her husband's part, - dancing taking place. "Seriously Seto, you're going to have to explain this one to me." Carefully, so not to force them apart, she held her gift in front of them both. "As nice as this wooden spoon is, I'm left completely baffled by it."

"It's a Welsh love spoon." Seto explained. "I wasn't sure what to get you so decided on something novel, but appropriate, to remember today by."

"After the all of the things that have gone wrong to get to this moment I don't' think I'll have any trouble forgetting today."

"I entirely agree with you there." He chuckled before continuing with his gift explanation. "According to general Welsh history it is ancient tradition for a man to give such an item to commemorate a courtship, engagement or marriage to the woman he loves. Each one has its own special meaning dependant upon the images carved on the spoon's handle."

Together they looked closely at the carvings on the spoon he'd chosen for her. At the top there were two bells tied together in an actual bow which could be used to hang and display the item of love. Beneath the bells was a typical Welsh dragon which stood on top of a heart before the handle ended with the head of the spoon.

"The bells are a symbol of marriage; our marriage. The dragon, as well as being a symbol of Wales and my favourite creature, also depicts the protection I give to you. And the heart, well that's pretty self explanatory as it symbolises my heart is solely yours."

Kisara looked completely moved by such a well thought out and sentimental gift that for a moment Seto thought she might cry. "You okay Honey?" He asked her.

"Yes." She forced a smile and wiped a tear from her eye. For a moment she hesitated and then added, "My feet hurt."

They stopped dancing for a moment and the bride stepped out of the pair of shoes that she'd borrowed from Gwen.

"I'm not surprised your feet hurt with that thing." Seto laughed at the sight of the shiny five pence piece in the left shoe. "Why is there a coin in your …"

"It's just a silly superstition which is supposed to bring us good luck for our future together." Kisara replied quickly before he had a chance to finish and looked at him with questioning eyes. "We don't need luck, do we Seto?"

"What's brought this on?" He laughed nervously at the doubt she had risen.

"It's just been one hell of a day." She tried to laugh but it ended up sounding more like a cry. "Tell me that we'll prove Naoko wrong."

"Of course we'll prove her wrong." Seto pulled his wife close to him before her tears had chance to fall. He'd made an art of hiding it but he was extremely angry with the bitter woman who had placed such a doubt into her mind. "I know she's your friend but you mustn't take note of all the things she says. You and me, we're going to be together for the rest of our lives."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He squeezed her tightly.

A smile slowly reappeared on Kisara's face as she savoured the reassurance he'd given her. "There's still something I need to tell you." Carefully she escaped the embrace and looked up at her husband's curious face. "Something which I was trying to tell you early before Jack swept us off onto the stage." She paused for a moment. "These past couple of weeks, I've been keeping a secret from you."

Seto looked faintly bemused but she continued.

"I've been waiting until today to tell you and only narrowly avoided revealing all a day earlier than planned. Of course the situation I found myself in yesterday meant that I had to tell Ianto, and it's still early days but …" Her smile broadened. "I'm pregnant."

"Come again?" Seto laughed, wanting to make sure that he'd heard her correctly and wasn't just hearing things that he'd been longing for.

"We're having a baby." Kisara's face reflected the joy of her husband's and the couple kissed each other so hard that both of them almost failed to contain joyful tears at the thought of the new addition that would be joining their family later that year.

Eventually they parted and silently relished the tight embrace of their dancing amongst the handful of family and friends and the mass of complete strangers.

Their special day may not have gone according to plan, but it was the happiest that either of them had ever experienced.

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**A/N: Aww; who's feeling warm and fuzzy from the couple's happy ending? I think they deserve it, especially since it's about to change pace and become extremely darker in the next instalment ... **

**Speaking of which, the first part of 'Children of Earth: Seto's story' which be posted 6th July :)**

**Thanks for reading,  
**

**KG**

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**'Children of Earth: Seto's story' sneak peak:**

Seto sat in his office sifting through paper work, computer files and every other scrap of information that he had managed to gather regarding Geocomtex and its CEO Henry Van Statten. Thanks to Torchwood Three's previous research he knew that the guy had a huge array of alien artefacts, many of which were advanced weaponry, and it was left to him to try and infiltrate his way in there to confiscate them.

As a plan of action he aimed to gain the other man's trust by collaborating with him and sharing the advanced technology which Kaiba Corp had at its disposal. Not something he'd wanted to do willingly as he greatly detested the man in question, but if it helped him bring one of his company's competitors down too, then the sacrifice would be worth it in the long run.

The cell phone in his pocket rang and swiftly he answered it. "Jack?"

"Seto!" The excited voice of captain Jack Harkness sounded down the phone. "You're a man I can rely on; unlike some of those idiots at UNIT. Can you believe that I phoned them to speak with Martha and she's only finally gone and gotten married and is currently on her honeymoon? Of course I'm not calling her an idiot, but I was left talking to a Sergeant and that was no fun I can tell you…"

"Is there a point to this call?" Seto breathed out heavily. The handset was squished between shoulder and ear to leave his hands free for typing on his keyboard as he smoothed out some of the statistics for tomorrow's meeting with Van Statten. "If it's just a social rant about how Martha and Mickey didn't send out wedding invitations then I'm hanging up right now."

"No it's not, it's work related." Jack assured. "At 8:40 this morning, - I guess that would have been afternoon time for you guys because of the time zone difference, - all of the children stopped."

"What do you mean stopped?" The CEO asked curiously.

"Gwen says she witnessed several kids just freezing on the spot with their actions. That's about all we've got at the moment though Ianto has managed to find numerous reports indicating that this thing is on a global scale. UNIT 'allegedly' ran some basic tests on a couple of children immediately after the incident but that turned up nothing other than it doesn't seem to have affected babies or those who've matured beyond puberty. How's Anathema? Was she affected by it?"

"How would I know?" Seto growled. "I'm at work."

"Then phone Kisara and ask her." The captain sighed. Was he meant to think of everything? "Say you saw it on a news report or something."

"She wouldn't fall for that for an instant."

"Well then tell her the truth about Torchwood!" Jack snapped a little too impatiently.

"No way." Seto disagreed with his friend. "You know how I feel about keeping her safe out of harms way and uninvolved with all this." Was his choice of secrecy always going to start an argument between them? It was okay for his friend as he didn't have a family to think about.

"You're right, he's back." Ianto's voice could be faintly heard on the other side of the line.

"Hahaha, I said so." Jack laughed. "Gotta go Seto. Speak with you later. Just do want you have to." The line went dead.


End file.
